A One Piece Twist
by Kouhai Raven-ya
Summary: Sanji is a cook at a country club looking for a way to over come his past and Zoro is a young man trying to find out what he wants in his future. When these two men meet, they clash and let pride, money,& stereotypes get in the way, yet cant deny the attraction they feel for eachother. This is a Pride and Prejudice au with a One Piece twist. Modern Au. Yaoi (boyxboy lovin') Rated M
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece

Hey guys! I finally decided to go ahead and start this ZoSan fanfic. Zoro x Sanji are defiantly my favorite OP ship and I loved the idea of them in a Pride and Prejudice setting! I hope you guys like it! ;)

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A One Piece Twist

Chapter One

The setting sun sparkled off the water of the lake and the breeze played with the ends of Sanji's blond hair. The man laying on the grass next to him sighed and looked through the willow branches to catch a glimpse of the blue sky.

"I just want to be myself and not what people expect of me. I don't want to be recognized for my money," the man said. Sanji took a drag of his cigarette and plucked a blade of grass by his foot, twirling it between his slender fingers.

"Have you ever thought about getting a job? Maybe one out of state where you could start from the bottom and work your way up. You said you liked kendo, right? Why not start there?"

The tan man next to him turned toward Sanji, propping himself up on his elbows and looked at the blond. "You think so? Its not exactly that easy."

Sanji shrugged. "You can make it as easy or as complicated as you want. I gave up everything to be were I am today and, granted, it might not be the best position, but I'm happy were I ended up. You could, too."

With that he stood up and flicked the burned out cigarette in one of the nearby trash cans. He raised his hand in farewell as he turned his back and left the man by the lake. "See ya around, man, and good luck."

The other man just grunted in response, but Sanji could feel the man's gaze on his back. By the time Sanji had gotten back to the guest house were he was staying, the blond had already forgotten the handsome man by the lake, and those piercing forest green eyes.

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2 years later

"BREAKFAST IS READY YOU BASTARDS!" Sanji shouted up the stairs to the second floor, "Your food is ready, too, Nami-Swan~!"

After, he made his way back to the kitchen to set the last of the food out on the table. Soon the padding of feet on the hardwood floor above him shifted to the stair case and finally into the huge dinning room of the Sky Island Country Club where Sanji had set up breakfast.

He turned and smiled warmly at his family as they sat down at the large oak table. " Good morning, everyone," he greeted as he placed the last glass of water at his seat. He got a collective greeting of tired grunts in return, except from Nami, of course, because ladies are too sophisticated to do anything like grunting.

"Sanji," Ussopp whined as he yawned, "You know how much I enjoy your food, but its summer now! Does breakfast have to be so early?"

"Well, Ussop, " he replied as he sat down, "You can sleep in as late as you want, but if you don't come when I call, then you don't eat till the next meal." He was smiling while he said this, but it was a dangerous smile. One Ussop new meant trouble if Sanji was further provoked. Instead he grumbled and shoved a chunk of pancake in his mouth.

Sanji mentally acknowledged the long nosed man's wise choice and turned to his youngest sibling. "So, Chopper, are you excited about tomorrow?"

The said teen perked up and smiled happily, "Yes! Although I am a little nervous, too. I heard Doctor Rine was pretty strict, but she's also the best of the best!" Sanji could see Chopper's energy rise with every word. He nodded while he chewed a piece of toast, watching the sparkle in Chopper's eyes grow brighter.

"You know," Nami said after she daintily sipped her orange juice, "If Chopper gets his medical training this summer, next year will be his last year of high school." The pride in her voice was evident.

Chopper rubbed his fluffy brown hair, "It doesn't make me happy when you brag about me you jerk!" But it was quite clear that it did, if the smile and blush on his face were indicators.

"My babies are growing up so fast!" Exclaimed Shanks dramatically. "Chopper is only 15 and is already going to graduate high school! I'm so old!" He raised his right arm, his only arm, and put his hand against his forehead and pouted. Sanji couldn't help but smile at Shanks's words, and even more when his partner, Mihawk, rolled his golden eyes at the man's theatrics, but continued to eat his food.

Sanji opened his mouth to say something but the French doors leading to the out side opened sharply. A 'Yo ho ho!' sounded loudly through the room.

"Brook!" Chopper and Shanks exclaimed happily as they rushed toward the tall man in the doorway. "Yo ho! Hello, everyone!" He laughed, his huge afro bouncing, as the teen and the redhead latched on to him.

"Hello, Brook," Mihawk greeted with a small smile. "Why didn't you inform us you were coming today? I thought your arrival was next week."

"Yeah!" Chopper concurred, "We could have picked you up!"

"Yo ho! That's alright. It was sort of a last minute decision," Brook said as he detangled himself from the clutching limbs. Sanji grinned as he stood. "You hungry, Brook?" He asked the black man, already knowing the answer.

"Oh, yes!" The said man nodded, already sitting down. Sanji gave him a plate of food and started on cleaning the pots and pans in the open kitchen. He sighed, contented, as he made his way through the usual motions. He knew this kitchen as well as he knew the backs of his hands, so he really didn't need to concentrate on his actions. He let the voices of his patch quilt family fade into background noise and let his thoughts drift.

Today marked the day he had come to this place over 11 years ago, and the day the Sky Island Country Club had become his home. Granted, at the time he didn't know it, but he was grateful that it had been this club's advertisement that Zeff had seen and not another. Sanji's heart hurt at the thought of his late father Zeff Baratie.

Sure the man hadn't been his actual father, but the old geezer had adopted him at an early age after saving him from drowning, and he owed his cooking education, and, frankly, his whole life to the shitty old man.

Despite the pain in his chest, Sanji couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Zeff; peg leg, braided mustache and all. Even though they hadn't had a very vocal relationship, they always knew that they loved and respected one another. He remembered the day he and Zeff had pulled up in their shitty, beat up Volkswagen and meeting the very odd, but eccentric owners of the country club they now would work for for the season. Sanji remembered stepping into the kitchen - his kitchen now- for the first time and how Zeff had scoured the entire room before he was satisfied and then begin to cook right then and there.

Shanks and Mihawk had been so impressed with their dinner that night that they immediately asked Zeff and Sanji to become year round employees. The next year has been the happiest of Sanji's life. At first he had been weary of the new bosses, especially Mihawk, but he was won over with their kindness and respect. Then that happiness ended one rainy afternoon, and everything changed.

Sanji shuddered at the quick mental pictures that flashed through his mind before it became blank with no memories to speak of. No matter how hard he tried, the blonde chef could not remember that day. He knew that he and Zeff had gone to town to shop, but everything after that, till the time he woke up in the hospital two weeks later, was blank.

His hand subconsciously went to the curtain of hair that covered his left eye to make sure it was in place. He bit his bottom lip, worrying it between his white teeth as he pulled his thoughts back to the present, his ears picking up the laughing of the group in the dining room. The blonde looked out the serving window and smiled as he observed the people there. Every one of them had been adopted - willingly or not - into Sky Islands family of misfits.

Nami and Sanji had been there the longest, Nami arriving about two months after what Mihawk, Shanks, and Sanji called 'the accident'. The feisty redhead had been distrustful of everyone at first, and took another 2 months before she could speak civilly to any of them. Sanji didn't know the whole story, and he knew it painted Nami to talk about it, but it had something to do about her family being murdered by a mob boss after not paying protection money. She was the only survivor.

Looking at her now, though, you would never know that the angry little girl had ever existed. The only thing remaining was a leftover scar from the gangs tribal tattoo that they had to used to mark her. Sanji's teeth ground together from the memory of it. Nami had hated that scar and herself so much that she took the sharpest kitchen knife and tried to stab the tattoo off of her arm, crying hysterically. From then on Sanji vowed to protect her with his life.

His memories were interrupted by Ussop's obnoxious laughter as the curly haired man told Chopper and Brook an obvious lie, but which the two idiots believed. Usopp and a baby Chopper had been next to join the motley crew. Shanks had found Ussop through an orphanage after catching him being beaten for telling a lie. The 10 year old child refused to leave his friend Chopper, who he and found abandoned in an alley, and had adopted as his little brother. Because of this the two had always been close and almost inseparable despite 6 year age gap. Beside Ussop Brook laughed loudly as he told a joke about skeletons.

Sanji smirked at the lanky man. Brook, well, Brook just sort of wandered into the club one day and never left. Until he started to launch his singing career 3 years before, the man had been the club musician. He had sent a letter to Shanks and Mihawk a few weeks ago asking to come back to the club to work. Apparently business was so good he could afford to come home for the summer.

Even though the black man was well into his thirties, Sanji and the rest of the club family got along with him and had inducted him into their family almost immediately. Brook didn't like to talk about his past, but Sanji could pick up that it was tragic like Nami's was, and he didn't want to pry into the man's life, digging up his pain.

The blonde chef shook his head as he wandered into the dining room and started cleaning off Brook's plate and put the rest of the food away. When he was done, Mihawk called for their attention. He cleared his throat and spoke, "Ok, everyone, here's the plan for today," He pulled a list out of the back pocket of his jeans, being the only person besides Sanji to be in something other then pajamas, and read off its instructions.

"Chopper, you and Shanks are going to finish working on the guest rooms. Make sure you quickly touch up the ones you, Shanks, and Sanji did yesterday," the black haired man reminded the young teen. "Yes, sir!" declared Chopper, hand placed on his forehead in a salute. Then he and Shanks, well him mostly, bounded up the stairs, almost like a deer, energy practically sparking off his body.

Sanji watched them disappear and turned back to Mihawk. "Ussop," he continued, " Nami, you guys and I will be working outside again." The tall man narrowed his eyes at it Ussop. " No goofing off today, yeah?"

Sanji watched the long nose man swallow visibly under Mihawks scary-ass stare. "Yes, o - okay," he stuttered in confirmation. Satisfied, the man turned to Sanji and Brook. "I need you two to run to town and get me some things. Here is a list and, Sanji, don't forget to pick up the mail from the post office."

The blonde nodded, taking the list from his adopted father's hand, and walked with Brook out to the car. Grabbing the keys on the hook by the door, Brook laughed a 'Yo ho!' as he unlocked the car and got into the driver side. Sanji stood by the vehicle for a moment before taking a deep breath and wrapping his trembling fingers around the door handle to open it. Carefully he slid into his seat, and gave Brooke an apologetic smile.

The blonde chef hated to admit it, but he absolutely hated vehicles after the accident. At first it was so bad that he would freak out by just standing close to one, but over the last 8 years he had trained himself to be able to ride in one for short periods of time, like riding to town and back, which lasted about 15 minutes at most before he had an all-out panic attack.

Brook just smiled warmly at him as he adjusted the small circular glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. The musician then pulled out of the driveway and made their way toward town. Sanji fidgeted the whole way, jerking his legs in an unbreakable up and down rhythm and tapping his fingers listlessly against the arm rest.

It was a miracle to Sanji when they finally got to their destination, and he literally unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop. Quickly he adjusted his shirt and shorts in an effort to calm himself, his breathing heavy.

Brook joined him outside the vehicle when it is parked and twirled his cane around his finger, whistling. "So, Sanji, what's first?" He asks Sanji casually. Sanji pulled out the list from his khaki shorts pocket. "Well, it's mostly cleaning supplies and some miscellaneous items, so do you think you can handle it?" He asked before holding out the paper to his friend. He then pulls out a list he made last night. "I have some shopping for supplies of my own to do. " He hated that his voice was still a little shaky.

If Brook noticed, he didn't say anything as he took the offered paper from Sanji, nodding. "Yeah. That shouldn't be a problem! Yo ho!" After that he was distracted by pretty girl. "May I see your panties?" He called, racing after her. Sanji laughed as he wandered over to the farmers market. The vendors greeted him with calls and wide smiles, especially the women.

" Sanji! " One of them called as they waved him over. "Ishilly!" He gushed as he took the raven's soft hand in his own and kissed it. She giggled and blushed, the color dusting nicely over her freckles. "My dear, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Say, isn't the club opening tomorrow?" She replied, smiling as she leaned toward him giving him a perfect view of her bosom. "Yes, lovely Ishilly, its at 2 o'clock sharp." Sanji answered, averting his eyes to avoid getting a nose bleed and to observe the fruits and vegetables laid out in the crates in front of him. "Now, what does the wonderful Madam Sharley have for me today?"

Sanji was walking through the crowded streets on his way back to the car when he became aware of someone watching him. His arms were loaded with bags of food, so he moved as quickly as he could manage without bruising the food or ripping the bags. People from the shops greeted him and called questions as he passed by, but the blonde answered them distractedly, as he weaved through alleys and turned and twisted, trying to lose his pursuer. Sanji was fully aware now that he was being followed, although whether it was a friend or foe Sanji was uncertain.

Finally he arrived at the car and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Brook talking to a pretty lady, one that Sanji recognized. "My lovely Robin- chwan!" he greeted happily. The pretty raven turned and smiled, her eyes hidden by her reflect his sunglasses. "Why, hello, Sanji. How are you?"

Robin O'Hara was an old friend of Sanji and Nami's . The three had hung out together since they were children. "Oh," Sanji started 'I'm just a little creeped out,' he thought but said, "I'm great!"

Having Brook pop the trunk of the car, he carefully placed in the bags of groceries before turning to Robin. They gave each other a hug and Robin kissed him lightly on the lips. He breathed in her smell of ink and books, memories taking hold.

For a little while in high school he and Robin had dated, but the relationship only lasted for 6 months before they split amicably. Even through their dating phase Sanji still felt like he and Robin were siblings more than significant others, so even if his pride had been hurt, which it wasn't of course, he still considered Robin a valuable friend and she felt the same way towards Sanji as well. If anything, they had grown even closer than before over the years.

"That's good to hear," she smiled lightly, no doubt picking up the hitch in Sanji's voice. The woman had eyes everywhere, and they were as sharp as Mihawk's.

He pulled away. "Are you excited for the party tomorrow?" His teasing tone made Robin smile. "Oh, I'm just brimming with excitement." The sarcasm made Sanji bark out a laugh that was cut short as a shudder went up his spine.

Down the street he saw a speeding truck. In the middle of the road was a rubber ball bouncing, then rolling to a stop, and a little girl shot out to retrieve it. His fear rose and a scream caught in his throat. Before he knew it, he was down the street, running toward the child. The truck wasn't slowing down and the small girl was completely oblivious to the vehicle barreling toward her until it was almost two yards away.

"Watch out!" His scream was finally pushed past his lips just before he dove and grabbing the child seconds before the truck hit her. The said vehicle swerved and screeched to a stop as Sanji tumbled across the rough asphalt, wrapping the little girl in a tight embrace. Some where he heard a woman scream.

His head cracked sharply against a telephone pole as his body was slammed to a stop. The ringing in his ears was unbearable and a pain blossomed in his head. God... He groaned as he unwrapped his arms from the little girl. He sat up and cracked his eyes open.

"Are you alright?" He asked the terrified child. Sobbing, she nodded. Sanji could see she was indeed alright and watched as Robin, Brook, and another woman, whom he assumed was a child mother, race over.

The red truck was still in the middle of the road, the bouncy ball on the pavement long forgotten. He let the child run to her mother and his eyes watched them unfocused until he found someone was shaking his shoulders. His cerulean colored eye slowly dragged over to find Robin with a worried Brooke looking at him over her shoulder.

Sanji realized that he could see Robin speaking, but no sound reached his ears over the ringing in his head. 'Sanji,' he saw her say, 'Are you alright?!' Memories flashed unbidden, and the sound came rushing back to his ears. He stood up quickly, but regretted it as the world spun around him. Still the memories tried to push fourth.

"I- I ' m fine, my dear," he managed to say.

He reached in his pocket for a cigarette and, with trembling fingers, placed it between his lips and successfully flicked on his lighter. He took a long, shakey breath, the nicotne helping calm his nerves.

"Thank you so much!" The mother of the little girl wailed and attacked Sanji in a bear hug.

The blond gave a gentle smile and patted the womans back.

"If there is anything you need, anything at all, we will do our best to repay you!"

Sanji blushed. "There is no need for that, my lovely lady," he reassured as he withdrew the cancer stick from his mouth. . "I would gladly do it again if the need arose. Payment isn't necessary. "

"Oh, but it is! No matter what you ask for, nothing will compair to the life of my baby!" The mother wailed happily as she clutched her daughter.

He could see that refusing her would just cause her pain, so with his sincerest thanks he said he would remember. The woman left then, traumatized child in tow, and soon disappeared. Sanji looked around and noticed that quite the crowd of spectators had gathered. He wanted to tell them to fuck off, but suddenly felt very tired.

"Brook," he groaned as the said man took hold of Sanji's arm and drapped it over his own bony shoulders, "please take me home."

The musician noddd in agreement and helped Sanji walk unsteadily back to the car while Robin excused herself to speak with the police. They made it back to the country club and before he could be bombarded with questions, Brook recounted the story with so many more lies then truth he would've done Ussop proud and ended it with a "Yo ho!".

Shanks looked at Mihawk worriedly and Chopper shrieked, "Sanji, sit down! You could have a concussion! Sit down!"

The blond chef obliged and hissed with pain when his skin streched as he sat, pulling at the multiple cuts and patches of road rash he had recieved from his tumble across the asphalt. Chopper fussed as he checked Sanji's eyes for signs of brain damage, then gently cut away the tatters that remained. Damn it all, it had been one of his favorite shirts, too. The pink hawian shirt had been a gift from Shanks last summer, admittedly it had been bought for him as a joke, but the blond genuinely liked the shirt and wore it with pride.

"Well," Ussop laughed nervously as the bloody shirt was thrown into the trash, " at least that God awful shirt is gone. It can finally rest in piece. "

Sanji was too tired to yell any obsanities at the long nosed bastard, so he settled on a glare that sufficiently conveyed his thoughts on the comment. Ussop paled a little and squeaked about forgetting to put the ladder away as he ran out the door. Sanji groaned in pain as Chopper cleaned his wounds, the majority being on his back and shoulders, and then wrapped him bandages.

"You should go to bed and get some rest," Shanks said softly as he placed a gentle hand on Sanji's shoulder.

Sanji nodded and stood to make his way up stairs. He turned to see everyone stare at him with concern.

"There are plenty of left overs in the fridge. So don't any of you bastards lay so much as a finger on anything other then the plates in there, got it?" he said as he tried to scowl, "Nami, your plate has your name on it, okay?"

A small smile lit up her face, but her eyes still held worry. "I got it, Sanji, now go get you butt into bed."

He grunted and treked the way to his room. He opened the door and breathed in the scent of his blend of cigarette spice and the smell of cedar wood. The room itself wasn't big, but wasn't small either. It was just right for Sanji.. it showed signs of Sanji everywhere from the suits in his wardrobe to the ribbons of cooking competitions pinned to the wall.

He shuffled over to his bed and opened the window to let in the fresh summer night air.

"Gah..." he sighed as he lowered himself onto his matteress. 'Today was just too crazy', he thought,' Hopefully tomorrow everything will be back to normal...'

He realized, just before sleep took him, that he didn't even know the names of the child and her mother...and that he forgot to get the mail...

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Hey guys! Remember to review! I love feedback! :) if you have any ideas id love to hear them!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything

HildyaOrul: Haha. Thanks so much for your review! :) I highly recommend that you watch Pride and Prejudice. Its a great movie. Now, dont let my writing influnce your decision, though. My story my have some of the original plot, but I have my own stuff that is COMPLETELY different. As for who was following Sanji... well, no spoilers! I can tell you; however, it was nobody good. ;)

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A One Piece Twist

Chapter 2

 _"Tell us where the money is kid," the scary man hissed._

 _Sanji's mind went numb with fear as the man pulled out a wicked looking knife. The fear was so strong that Sanji's whole body was shaking, yet he could do nothing as the man brought the knife closer to Sanji's left eye. His arms and legs strained against the ties that held him in place as the man used the knife to move the fringe of blonde hair that covered it._

 _As the man stepped closer, Sanji could see his face. It was terrifying, yes, but the look in his eyes were far scarier. Zeff's screams echoed in the abandoned building._

 _" One more time: Where. Is. The. Money," The man said again. " I don't know!" He choked out, sobs catching in his throat. "Wrong answer," the man said through clenched teeth and shoved the knife deep into Sanji's eye._

"Ahhh!" Sanji shot up from his bed clutching the left side of his face. "God, no!" He wailed, his half asleep mind still remembering the dream.

His breath came out in heavy puffs, and his heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest. He scrambled to turn on the light next to his bed, his right eye wildly looking around the room as he tried to calm himself. Sanji swung his legs to the floor and stood on shaky legs. He reached for the pack of smokes on his desk, jammed one in his mouth and lit it. 'God,' he shuddered, 'hadn't had a nightmare like that in years.' He supposed that the drama of yesterday brought it on, and by the time he walked back over to his bed to check the time, the sleep from his mind had cleared, and the details of the dream were almost forgotten.

The clock read 2 a.m. Damn, he slept over 12 hours. He rubbed his wrists and ran his fingers over the scars on his pale skin. 'Well, since I'm wide awake I might as well start to make preparations for this afternoon, right?' He said to himself.

He ran a hand through his hair as he went over to his wardrobe and opened it. From it he withdrew a pair of black slacks that really made his legs and ass look great, and a bright teal blue button up shirt that clung to his torso in all the right places. He was about to head to the bathroom to go take a shower when he remembered the bandages. Sighing he went to the bathroom and instead began to carefully wash himself with a wash cloth. This was going to take forever...

The first person to come downstairs was Mihawk. Sanji didn't even know he was there until he turned around to grab another carton of eggs and saw the dark haired man leaning against the kitchen door frame. Neither one said anything.

Sanji and Mihawk's relationship was a lot like Sanji's Zeff's had been, just without the kicking and insults. They didn't speak a lot, but when they did, they knew their words for each other were sincere and important.

" You had another nightmare," the tall man stated, getting right to the point. Sanji stilled, but wasn't surprised. After all he was called 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk for a reason. Sanji grunted, not wanting to speak.

He heard Mihawk shift behind him and then saw the man's gold eyes as he stepped up beside Sanji. "You know," he said quietly, "That Shanks and I... We care for you, Sanji. If you need to talk to us about anything, please don't hesitate to come to us."

Sanji stopped cutting up the green peppers for the quiche he was making, and turned to Mihawk. Sanji didn't know if it was because the older man reminded him so much of Zeff, but he had been the first person Sanji had talked to weeks after the accident. Mihawk was a man that Sanji respected almost as much as he had Zeff. The man's quiet power spoke to the young Sanji, and even now when Sanji was almost 21, he still went to Mihawk with problems he had no way of fixing or just for advice. He smiled tiredly at Mihawk and said, "I know. You and Shanks are my parents, and you guys took me in and cared for me at my worst. I can never thank you guys enough, but please, don't take it personally when I say I don't really want to talk about it."

Mihawk just nodded before awkwardly patting Sanji on the arm. Sanji almost chuckled at his discomfort. "Can you get the other knuckleheads up for me? I know you and Shanks were put behind schedule because of me, so I want to make sure that we have an early start. Robin-chawn's party is the first of the season, after all, so it's pretty important."

Mihawk grunted in acknowledgement and headed out of the kitchen to get the rest of the crew up. The blonde chef watched him go, then turned back to his peppers with a small, but sad smile. He wanted to talk to Mihawk and Shanks, he really did, but how could he talk about things that he didn't understand or remember himself?

The doctor said it was a defense mechanism and that he had blocked out the memories and feelings of the accident from his conscious mind, forcing them into his dreams. As a result, over the years he had dreamed some pretty nasty dreams. For a while part of his therapy had been to write down his dreams as soon as he woke up, and in as much detail as he could. After the first few times of doing this, even Sanji, who was no therapist by any means, could see something was messed up in his head.

He kept a journal for years and even now, once in awhile, when a dream was new or particularly nasty, he wrote it down out of habit more than anything else. After the first dream he never showed his dream journal to anyone, scared what they might think of him. He used to read them over constantly when he was bed ridden in the hospital, trying to find any clues to help unlock his memory, but nothing worked. If anything, rereading the dreams gave him worse nightmares.

His face turned red with embarrassment as he remembered all the times he woke up bawling his eyes out, or to Shanks or Mihawk soothing him. At least now the nightmares were familiar to him and most of the time he could force himself awake if they got too bad. Last night had been the first nightmare in years that he had woken up that shaken from.

Shaking his head, Sanji threw the papers into the quiche mix and put it into the oven. He just needed to focus on preparations for the party tonight and think about all the lovely ladies that would be there. Everything was going to go perfectly, he would make sure of it.

* * *

Sanji was brushing out Chopper's shaggy hair that had gotten all matted from working with that witch Kureha, or as Chopper called her, Doctor Rine. Sanji suppressed a shudder of horror at the thought of that old, wrinkly witch coming to the party tonight. Chopper invited her after Sanji walked to Kureha's clinic in town to get the young teen. She smiled a cat like grin at Sanji and asked if he would save her dance. Sanji, never being rude to women no matter how old or ugly, agreed reluctantly. Now he had been dreading the time he would have to spend with Chopper's boss.

Finally, Sanji got out the last snarl and began to give his little brother a haircut. The teens brown locks fell to the floor with every snip until the blond chef was satisfied.

"Are you done yet?" Chopper asked as he fidgeted in his seat.

"Yes," he chuckled as he spun his kid brother around to the mirror.

" Oh, Sanji!" He exclaimed happily, "It looks great!" Sanji nodded smiling. Chopper did look good, he looked grown up. "You should show off those baby browns, little man, not hide them behind that mop."

Chopper beamed and tackled Sanji in a gentle hug, mindful of the bandages. "Thanks, Sanji!" He blushed and raced off to get dressed. Sanji smiled as he swept up the soft brown types of hair into a pile and threw them away,then he went downstairs to the kitchen to find a crowd around Shanks.

"What's going on?" The blonde asked as he made his way over to the redhead.

Shanks smiled a face splitting grin, crinkling the the three gashed scar across his left eye. "My nephew Luffy is coming to visit for the summer! Oh, it's been over 11 years since I've seen him, but I bet he's still the same. Even if he has been in Europe this whole time."  
"Luffy? The eats -everything -in -sight Luffy? The idiot -who -always- gets- himself- into trouble Luffy? THAT Luffy?" Could this day get any worse? The stories Sanji had heard about Luffy and his stupidity could fill at least three Merriam Webster dictionaries, the very thick dictionaries.

"Why, yes! And apparently he's going to bring Ace and a few friends he made abroad! Isn't that exciting?!"

"Extremely," Sanji grumbled, but the sarcasm was wasted on Shanks. "When is he coming?" He asked reluctantly.

"Tonight! Just in time for the party!"

Sanji choked on his own spit. "WHAT?! Shanks, you can't just-I mean- HOW am I going to cook enough food for tonight? If Luffy eats half of what you say he does, then we dont have nearly enough!"

Shanks waved his hand in dismissal, still holding the letter, "I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Sanji sighed heavily in exasperation, knowing persuing this conversation was pointless. He threw his hands up in the air and stomped to the kitchen. "God!" He exclaimed, " Why are you so freaking impossible?!"

Chuckles followed him to the kitchen, irritating him all the more.

Over the next two hours that remained before the party, Sanji whipped up as much food as he could while the others finished setting up the decorations inside and outside on the lawn. Thankfully Mihawk had the fore sight to hire almost thirty people from town to help, so the group could split up and get more done.

Finally, when 2 o'clock rolled around, Sanji was satisfied and finished setting out the food. He fixed his hair and unrolled his sleeves as he walked outside, buttoning the cuffs closed. After a half hour the guests started to arrive in droves and Sanji greeted beautiful lady after beautiful lady that passed by. It was all going well until Kureha showed up. Sanji forced himself not to cringe as she sauntered over to him, very aware of his discomfort.

"Dortor Rine!" Shanks greeted the old lady happily, " I'm so pleased to see you! Chopper talks of nothing else but the quality of your work!"

'Damn you, Shanks!' Sanji thought bitterly, 'Now she'll never leave!'

Kureha returned Shanks's greeting, then turned to Sanji. "Don't forget about out dance, " she mocked, fluttering her eye lashes, and winked at him suggestively as she walked away. Sanji couldn't supress the shudder.

Shanks added to it by barking out a laugh and congratulated the blonde on his 'fine catch'.

"Shut up," Sanji whined, "Why does that old bag of bones love to torment me everytime she sees me?!"

The red haired man shoke his head. "Why do any of us torture you, Sanji? 'Cause it's fun!" The man cackled as he spun away into the crowd to avoid Sanji's kick.

Sanji pouted with his arms crossed over his chest, carefully minding his injuries, as he stalked over to a willow to have a smoke and calm down. He jumped onto a low branch and tucked a leg underneath himself while the other dangled over the side. Then he lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

After about an hour and three cigarettes later, a man made his way under Sanji's perch with a bottle of beer in each hand and a peculiar case slung over a shoulder.

"You know," the blonde called to the man below him, "a lesser man would take offense to someone drinking so early in the party."

Sanii watched in mild amusment as he saw the man below start in surprise, and whipped around to find the source of the voice. Sanji supressed a laugh. " Up here, baka."

The head snapped up to glare at Sanji, who was just lazily blowing out a long cloud of smoke, and raised a curly eyebrow. Dark green met cerulean as Sanji looked at the man curiously.

The man was about Sanji's height with a natural golden tan, his muscles saying he was no stranger to hard work. He held himself like he was someone you did not want to mess with, almost like a thug, but his air spoke of someone that was upper class, like so many of the rich pricks that occupied the country club.

He wore white shorts that brought out the glow of his skin, and his green polo shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and chest quite nicely. His matching white and green straw fedora did little to cover the green hair on his head or cover the scar over across his left eye, stretching from his eyebrow to the top of his high cheek bone. The mans scowl made it look well placed.

Sanji had to admit that this man was ruggedly handsome, scars and all, and sighed mentally. After jumping down lightly and landing in front of the man, Sanji turned to stub the rest of his cigarette on the trunk of the tree and threw it away. When he turned back to the man, his dark green eye was still on Sanji. Sanji's hand went to the hair infront of his own left eye, making sure it was in place.

"Can I help you?" He asked, uncomfortable under the mans searching gaze.

The marimo seemed to realise he was staring and snapped his eye away from Sanji, raising the open bottle of beer to his lips.

"Hn. Nope," the mans deep voice said flatly.

Sanji rolled up his shirt sleeves, getting ready to walk away, then shoved his hands in the pocket of his slacks. His irritation from earlier was growing again. What was this guy's problem? After starting to walk away the man spoke to Sanji again.

"Why were you hiding?" The marimo asked, taking another sip of his beer.

Sanji's neck almost snapped as his head swivled around to face the man again. " I wasn't 'hiding', you bastard!" Sanji snarled, realizing too late that his voice was raised too loudly.

"Sanji!" Kureha's voice called as he stepped through the tassles of the willow. The said man suppressed a groan. "I've been looking for you everywhere! You promised me a dance, remember?" She smiled wickedly like a cat that had found a year supply worth of cream and shimmied her hips at Sanji, the beads on the bottom of her knee length skirt clacking together loudly. Behind him he heard the shitty moss head snort into his drink.

Before Sanji could reply or think of an excuse to get out of the horrible predicament he was in, the witch grabbed Sanji's wrist and dragged him to the patio that also served as an outdoor dance floor. After that things just got worse: Kureha insisted on dancing lead, leaving Sanji to the female role. Several dances (and ass squeezes) later, Sanji was able to break free from the crazy old hag and ungracfully stummbled to the food and refreshment table. His back was hurting like hell, but he ignored it, pissed off more then ever before.

"Damn that fucking hag!" He said venomously as he gulped down several cups of lemonade and then two shots of some type of blue, fruity liquor.

"Relationship problems?" A deep voice snickered.

Sanji whipped around and in the fading light saw the grass head. "Shut your shitty mouth!" Sanji hissed. The man didn't seemed offended by Sanji's course language. Instead he just smiled smugly at the blonde, but didn't speak again.

"God damn it!" Sanji mumbled under his breath as he leaned against the table, his sweat stinging the cuts under the bandages. He ran a hand across his face, easily ignoring the marimo. "Some ones gonna die tonight, specifically someone named Chopper, for inviting that old hag in the first place!"

He straightened, the scowl dropping off of his face when he saw Robin making her way toward him.

"Robin-chawn~!" He called happily, leaving a unfinished drink on the table, and headed toward her. He lightly kissed her on the hand. "Please do me the honor of dancing with me. You must help me regain some dignity! " he begged, laughing, but was completely serious.

The raven smiled. "Are you all right from yesterday, Sanji?"

Sanji straightened and laughed again lightly, "I'm fine. Just a few scrapes and a headache."

Robin looked at him skeptically, but nodded and took Sanji's outstretched hand. He gave a genuine smile and lead her onto the dance floor.

* * *

Hehe. Okay, guys, tell me what you think! Dont forget to review! Your words encourage me! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: me no own one piece or pride and prejudice, so you no sue.

HildyaOrul: Thank you so so much for your words! :) I have a lot of good ideas for this story, some are just so well linked I am surprised I actually thought of them. I liked the idea that Sanji was blind in his left eye, so thats why he covered it. There are alot of shadey villians yet to come, and obviously there is more to Sanji's past then a mere car crash. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks so much for reading!

Dragon77: Yes, there are lots of mysterious mysteries in this story that (I hope) will make sense as the story progresses! Thanks so much for your review and enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

A One Piece Twist

Chapter 3

As Sanji lead Robin across the dance floor he could feel the green haired man's eye on him, but everytime he looked in the man's direction he was just standing off to the side drinking or talking to someone. It was a little confusing, but Sanji was soon swept up in the music again as the single dance with Robin ended and a group dance started.

The night flew by with evey dance until Sanji was so tired he almost collasped as he sat down next to Mihawk and Shanks. He laughed happily, a little buzzed, propped his chin in hand.

"You seem to be in a better mood," Shanks remarked. " Maybe Kureha should dance with you more often," he teased.

Sanji's good mood could not be killed that easily, or rather he wouldn't let it, so the scowl he gave Shanks broke with one of Sanji's famous lopsided grins.

He felt alot better then he had this morning, even with that stupid grass headed baka's comment earlier about hidding. He had pushed the uneasy feeling buzzing in the back of his head away as he accepted the glass of whiskey from Mihawk.

He turned to the red head and said, quite cheekily, " Oh so witty. How long did it take you to think up that one?"

Shanks laughed, it didn't reach his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something to Sanji, but was cut off as a blur of red, blue, and black latched onto the older man.

"Shishishi, Uncle Shanks! This party sure is fun!" The blur spoke.

"Luffy, there you are!" Shanks smiled for real this time. "Oi, Luffy, this is Sanji. He's the head chef here and made all the delicious food you have scarfed down this evening," Shanks introduced, laughing rather loudly. Of course that could just have been a result of all the alcohol he had consumed as it toke effect on his body.

The lanky man detached himself from Shanks, then bounced over to where Sanji sat. He had shaggy black hair, and a half moon scar under his left eye (what was up with everyones left eye being injured?). His clothes fir nicely on his frame, and even though he still had some growing to do, Sanji could tell that Luffy knew how to handle himself. Lastly his familiar yellow straw hat caught the cook's eye.

"Oi, is that Shanks's old hat?" He asked a little slurred.

"Yeah, but it's mine now! You can't have it!" The raven exclaimed, then smiled. " So, your a cook, huh? That's great! You should travel with me and Zoro! We wanna be the best of the best so you should be our cook! I like a lot of meat. What do ya say? Meat meat meat meat!"

Luffy's babbling was a little hard to keep up with, but Sanji just smiled and shoke his head. " Sorry, but no can do. I'm going to my final year of college in fall, and then after I graduate I'm going back to Europe to work at making my own restaurant. "

Luffy pouted and crossed his arms in over his chest.

"You can make food anywhere, can't you? What's so special about a stupid restaurant? " he grumbled, then broke out into a smile. "Oi, Zoro! Come here! Help me convince Sanji he can cook anywhere! He doesn't need a stupid restaurant! "

'Zoro', Sanji guessed, was one of the friends that Shanks had metioned this afternoon. Sanji heard footsteps and as he looked up toward the direction of the sound, he almost spit out his drink. No one other then that green haired bastard from eariler stood before him. The blond was quick to hide his emotion behind a mask of indifference as he and Zoro were formally introduced... he guessed...

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and this is my right hand man Roronoa Zoro!"

It was shortly after Robin and her older brother, Iceburg, found their way over to them and introductions were repeated.

"It's so good to finally put a face to the nephew Shanks never shuts up about!" Iceburg laughed while petting the head of a pet mouse that was in his shirt pocket.

Luffy laughed as well. "You're pretty funny, Ice Pops!" Then his eyes caught on a huge plate of meat a few tables away. "MEAT!" He cried then literally scampered off and shoved the meat, plate and all, into his mouth.

Sanji rolled his eyes, then turned back to catch Zoro looking at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" He asked, meeting the dark green gaze.

The marimo just grunted and turned away. Sanji's good mood was eroding away with every second.

"So, Zoro," Robin asked as she sat down next to Sanji, "Where did you and Luffy meet?"

Zoro sat down after pulling out a chair for himself.

"In Japan about a year ago. He came to watch my fight with-" Sanji watched Zoro's eye flick to Mihawk quickly then back to Robin's face. She didn't miss the glance and neither did Sanji. "My opponent. I was there to compete for a kendo tournament. "

"Ooo," Iceburg said, "Did you win?"

"...No. I lost my last fight by forfeit. Too banged up to compete. I had heard a man that,uh, I wanted to fight was in the country,so, I rushed off and challenged him. I lost that fight, too. Needless to say it was with real swords, and it was a bad decision on my part," he chuckled nervously.

The blonde was surprised that Zoro could lose to anyone. Who ever could beat the muscle head must be a monster. The green haired man took a huge sip of the open beer in his hand. It seemed, that for a few moments, everyone waited for Zoro to speak again.

Sanji felt irritation building up in his chest, and his legs wew tapping listlessly under the table.

"Zoro, do you like to dance?" He asked, trying to break the silence more then to satisfy his curiosity.

"No," was all the man said.

Supressing a growl, Sanji flicked back his wrist, and downed the rest of the liquor in his glass. His throat burned a little, but he ignored it as he stood up.

"Well, as enchanting as this one sided conversation is, I'm going to go get extremely drunk and have a good time." Sanji said, forcing out a laugh.

His thoughts and feelings from eariler pressed heavily on his mind again as the silence provoked then to the surface. God, why was this shit coming back up now? Shaking his head mentally, Sanji left the small group.

The chef grabbed a glass of wine as he walked by a waiter and made his way back to the dance floor. There he found Chopper, who was too drunk to remember he was mad at him.

The young teen was laughing with Luffy. The raven had... chopsticks placed in his nostrils and stretched into his lower lip. The sight was more weird then funny, but Sanji laughed despite his feelings.

Chopper turned and Sanji almost spit out his drink when he saw the teen was he same way. Their laughter attracted Ussop and Nami. The pair waded through the crowd, squeezed between the dancers, trying to get closer.

Nami, wearing her favorite tangerine colored sundress and white pumps, looked stunning in the shadows casted from the party lights. Luffy's eyes widened when he saw her, Sanji watched as the goofy guy quickly took out the wooden eating utensils from his nose and hid them behind his back.

"H-Hello," he stuttered as the two people met them.

Even in his state, the blonde could tell that Luffy was infatuated with Nami. Sanji bristled a little, but couldn't blame the kid. Nami was perfect in every way.

The said woman smiled almost shyly as she tucked a long strand of orange hair behind her ear. "Hello," she replied, then she continued, "Luffy, would you like to dance?"

"Yeah!" Luffy responded then toke her hand and brought to his chest as he pulled her closer.

After they spun away, Sanji, Chopper, and Ussop's jaws still hung open.

"What just happened?" Ussop asked, disbelieving.

"I have no clue," Sanji said, then narrowed his blue eye at the dancing couple.

"I think that it's so cute!" Chopper exclaimed, pulling himself together, his big brown eyes sparkling.

Sanji huffed as he shoke his head and placed his now empty glass on a waiters empty tray. He considered keeping eye on her, but his head hurt thinking about the last whack he got when he interfered with Nami-swan's love interests. Nah, better not.

"Come on guys," Sanji laughed senslessly as the alcohol took effect, "Let's dance!"

It was almost 12 at night, the party was starting to level out, when Sanji stopped his drinking and dancing. This was the best party ever, Sanji decided, and felt a twinge of pain at the thought of this being the last summer he would be doing this sort of thing with his friends and family.

"Well, Robin-chawn," he smiled, pushing away the unpleasant feelings, and addressed the lovely woman infront of him.

They were hiding under one of the tables, the long white cloths concealing them from peoples prying eyes, like they had done since they were children.

Robin smiled softly, her cheeks a little pink. "Yes?"

"What do you think of Luffy?"

Robin seemed to think for a moment, then smiled. " I think that Luffy is a real character. I like him though, and it seems that Nami likes him, too."

"You noticed, too, huh?" Sanji asked. So it wasn't just him.

" The question here, Sanji, is what you think of Zoro."

"That muscle head? Shmeh. He's nothing special. He might be hot, bu he's rude and totally anti social. He hasn't moved from his seat all night and all he does is drink his beer. I'm surprised he's still coherent. "

Robin looked at him slyly. "I don't think that's all there is to him. He looks like he could use a friend."

Sanji adjusted his butt to stir some circulation back into it. He snorted, "He has Luffy."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to be friends with you,Sanji," the raven said, "He seems to have and eye out for that special friend to come along..."

"Oh, Robin," Sanji laughed, "I think you might have had too much to drink. It's clear that Zoro is anything but needy, and besides, if you're implying what I think you are, you don't know anything about him or his preferences. He might be a homophobe."

Before the said woman could reply, two sets of shoes stopped infront of their table. When the first of the two spoke, Sanji recognized the voice immediately.

"Zoro, this is the best party ever! The foods amazing, and I don't think I've ever seen so many pretty girls in my life! Shishishi!" Luffy laughed as he spoke to his friend.

"You were dancing with the only pretty girl in this place," the moss head grumbled.

"Well, Robin is a pretty,too!" Luffy argued.

"Yeah," he heard Zoro agree," but she's creepy. It's like her eyes can stare through your soul."

Sanji hadn't realised he had moved till he felt Robin's iron grip on his arm. She shook her head 'no'.

"Well... what about Sanji? He's pretty handsome for a guy, right? Plus, his food is the best I've ever eaten! You should marry him, Zoro, that way he'll HAVE to come with us and I can eat all the meat I want!"

The wistfullness in the young man's voice almost made Sanji laugh as his face flushed in embarrassment.

Zoro huffed. "He's not handsome enough to tempt ME, Luffy, especially not his cooking."

Sanji was almost tackled and had a hand clasped over his mouth. He was going to murder green haired, one eyed prick!

"Oi, Zoro! Luffy!" Someone called and Sanji's opportunity for murder passed by.

Only after she was sure the two men had gone, did Robin release Sanji.

"Well," she said, " she said, a small smileplaying on her lips, "That's what we get for eavesdropping. "

Sanji didn't share her amusement and grumbled out an excuse to leave, ducking out from under the table, and went into the kitchen through the back door. His mood was completely ruined now. Fuck Zoro and his judgements. So what if Sanji wasn't 'handsome' enough to 'tempt' the fucking marimo?

The blonde had had plenty of women AND men throw themselves at his feet. He knew that he was attractive and whatever that prick had to say shouldn't matter, even if that prick was built like a fucking god!

He stumbled over to the sink and washed his hands, then splashed his hot face with the cool water to help him sort out his fuzzy thoughts. Broken images, scary images, started to appear again in his mind. Suddenly he felt sick and barely had any warning before he threw up all the food and alcohol he had consumed over the day into the sink.

He clutched the edges of the metal sink with white knuckles and emptied his stomach, shaking violently. Finally when he was done, he washed his mouth with hot water, then he washed the sink out with bleach. "So much for eat, drink, and be merry," he thought bitterly.

He leaned aginst the sink for several minutes, resting his forearms on the edge and sighed. His head hurt like hell, and the images didn't subside until the clatter of bowls against the tiled floor got his attention.

He whipped around and saw Zoro.

"What the fuck do you want, moss head?" He spat, tiredly. He was still angry at the asshat, but he was so tired all of the sudden.

It was then he saw the bottle of wine clutched in Zoro's hand. His anger was quickly renewed, and he saw red.

"That fucking bottle better not be open," he said dangerously.

The marimo looked down at the bottle in his hand and then glared at Sanji. "So what if it is, dart board?"

"Put it back," Sanji said through clenched teeth, "Put it back and get hell out of my kitchen."

Zoro scoffed, "And if I don't, drunkard?"

Sanji shook with anger and nausea as he looked at thr bottle.

"That bottle," his voice cracked with emotion and he started over again, "That bottle is not yours and it was locked up so I don't know how you got it, but give it back."

Zoro had audacity to jingle a set of keys noisily, with a smirk on his lips. "Nope, I think I will."

That was the last straw for Sanji.

He was across the kitchen in seconds and snatched the bottle from the marimo's hand, or at least thats what he would've done if Zoro hadn't been quicker and avoid Sanji's swipe.

"You need to learn to share," Zoro accused, almost pouting.

"It's not my wine," Sanji growled, "Just give it back and I'll let you leave with all your limbs intact."

"Oh, big threat from such a small man," the marimo teased.

"I'm serious," Sanji said angerly, not in the mood for Zoro's stupid games, "Hand it over! It's a gift for someone!"

He lunged for the bottle again, but faltered as Zeff's smiling face was replaced by an image of him covered in blood.

"Oi,oi,oi! A stern voice said. "Boys whats tha matter-oh..." Shanks said as the looked at the two fighters. "Zoro... what is in your hand?"

By now the two boys had stopped trying to pummle eachother.

Zoro looked confused, then guilty as he answered, "Wine?"

While he was distracted, Sanji saw his chance. He ripped the bottle of the bastard grip, then inspected the bottle and was relieved to find it not open.

"Is it the wine I told you NOT to get? I thought you said you didn't even like red wine."

Zoro looked sheepishly at Shanks and blushed in embarrassment.

Shanks then turned to Sanji and, seeing his normally pale face even paler then usual, asked, "Kiddo, you sure you're okay? I know- hey your bleeding again." The red head clicked his tongue as he pried the bottle from Sanji's tight hold around its neck. "Thankfully your dancing wasn't to crazy or else they could've been worse, but lift up your shirt and unwrapp those bandages. It's time to change 'em anyways."

Sanji grumbled, but complied, not wanting to argue with his foster father. He hissed at Zoro to get the hell out and turned around and gently took off his shirt. Now that he was coming down from his drunk haze, his chaffed skin hurt with his every movement. He bit his bottom lip and softly groaned as he unwrapped the bloody bandages and threw them in the trash. He sighed. So much for cooking something to calm his nerves.

He heard Zoro suck in a breath behind him. "I thought I told you to -" Sanji bitting words were cut off as Shanks reentered the kitchen with a roll of banages and disinfectant.

His mouth snapped shut, his teeth clicking together, as the red head gave him a look.

"Zoro," he heard Shanks say, "Put that wine back where you got it, okay? Take something that you like to drink and leave."

The curtness was unusual for Shanks so Sanji knew what was coming next.

"Mihawk told you I had another nightmare, didn't he?" Sanji said bitterly, beating Shanks to the punch. "I'm not a child, you know. It was just a stupid dream."

Shanks went to the next section of his back. "I know that, Sanji. And no, Mihawk didn't tell me, I figured it out myself."

He was quiet for a moment, and stilled his hands, "Sanji, I know that around this time of year the dreams get worse. Just be careful, okay?"

Sanji knew Shanks's concern was genuine, so he couldn't be angry at his words. "Yeah," the blonde nodded as his foster father began to encircle the clean bandages around his torso. "Yeah, I'll be careful. "

* * *

Zoro huffed as he locked up the bottle of wine. He didn't see what was so special about it. It was just a bottle of red wine, not even a particularly good kind, and yet that blonde dart board had acted like a angry luntic, even Shanks was put off.

He skirted through the cellar and grabbed a drink that suited more his taste, and then quietly walked up the stairs. At the step before the landing he could hear Shanks talking to the blonde.

"Just be careful, okay?" Shanks was saying.

"Yeah, yeah I'll be careful," was the response.

The blondes smooth voice sent shivers up Zoro's spin and right to his groin. He groaned to himself as he slipped out of the kitchen, and into the night. He found himself underneath the willow he had used to seek refuge from earlier. Little had he known when he let Luffy drag him half across the world that he would have the chance to remeet the object of his affections and fantasies. Of course, his friend didn't know this, didn't even know close to the mark he was earlier with his comment about Sanji, but Zoro had felt someone watching them and he said the first thing that came into his mind.

He flopped ungracfully onto the grass and removed his hat from his head. The cool breeze ruffled his hair and the tassels of the willow, making them dance. Just like that hot blonde, Sanji Prince.

Zoro opened his drink and threw some down. How lucky was he to find Sanji, here of all places, when he had just finally given up hope of ever seeing the curly eyebrowed cook again. He sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree

For over 2 years Zoro had thought of Sanji.  
How could he not? The blonde man was the one person who encouraged him to go out into the world and earn the respect and money he was born with. The ero-cook was in his mind all the time, Zoro unable to unsear the image of the man from his brain.

Now, though, he had a new image. Sanji had filled out quite a bit over the last few years. His face had lost that baby look, and had become chiseled. He even had a small goatee and a little mustache. It didn't matter that his hair was the same, the style looked good on him, but Zoro could sense something fragile about the cook. His mind went to the cuts and rash all over his back and shoulders.

"What could he have done to get those injuries?" He thought as he leaned his head back and looked up at the branch he had found Sanji on.

He smiled like a lunatic. Zoro had been so surprised to find the cook, of all people, there infront of him. So surprised he was stunned into silence. By the time the cook was infront of Zoro, he could tell that the blonde didn't remember him. So say he was a little dissapointed was a under statement, Zoro had seen the chance as a new opportunity to get reacquainted with the blonde. Too bad he had to go a ruin it with his poor choice of words...and teasing him wih the wine...God, maybe just breathing should be added to the list, too...

He sighed as he rubbed a hand through his hair, causing the tinkling of his three earrings to sound through the air. Winning the cook over was going to be tough. He didn't even know if Sanji was gay or not, but based on his actions at Amazon Lily 2 years ago, Zoro was pretty sure that Sanji was at least bi...

Zoro was resolved. He WOULD bed he blonde, one way or another, and show him that Zoro was the man he was looking for. He had never lost a fight that he engaged in-except once- but he wouldn't let that one defeat hinder him. Zoro smiled rougishly to himself. This was going to be fun.

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Thank you so much guys for reading and reviewing! ^-^ I love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

ALL RIGHT GUYS! ! I AM DONE WITH COLLEGE TILL THE FALL! God, the freedom!The air! Its FANTASTIC! ! This also means that since I have no school work to concentrate on, I will get to spend my time being a mega geek! Means more chapters for you guys! My job will be the only thing that hinders me from being a professional geek 24/7! All right you lovely people, enjoy this chapter! ;)

HildyaOrul: I love your enthusiasm! Your reviews just make me so happy! XD Anyways, to answer your first question: Yes and no. The bottle was Zeffs favorite kind/brand of wine. In fact it was the only thing that Zeff brought from France besides Sanji, so Sanji pours a bottle on his grave every year. As for the money... No spoilers! X3 Dont worry though, you shall find out the whole story (sooner or later!). I didnt know if people would be put off with Mihawks concern because I didnt know if it really fit his personality, but Im glad that I did write it that way. And for your last question about a third wheel? Well, there is a Mr. Wickham character in this story that shall make their apperance, but you will have to wait and see...

Fred and George Weasley Twins: thank you so much for your review! Your words made me laugh and brightened my day because I saw them after taking my 12 page math exam. So thank you again! :)

Kpuffs: Awww! :) Thanks! I was really hesitant to start this story, and then I didn't know if it should be a modern or set in the orginal time. You should see the notes for this story I scribbled down one day. I can barely understand them myself! Haha. I thank you for reviewing and hope you like this chapter! X3

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A One Piece Twist

Chapter 4

Sanji and Shanks made their way back to the patio and found their group of friends and family all together. With them was a tall, dark haired guy Sanji assumed was Ace, Luffy's older brother. Beside him was a beautiful girl that Ussop was talking to.  
Sanji bounded over to her and took her hand, brushing his lips over her knuckles.

"Mellorine!~" He cried, delighted to have seen such a pretty face.

Ussop sputtered and the blonde angel in front of him blushed, the party lights casting soft shadows over her face. "Hello," she greeted softly, "You must be Sanji. I am Kaya Sweet. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine my dear, and may i say what a lovely name you have!" Sanji gushed.

Feeling Usopp's glare, he let go of Kaya's soft hand and took a few steps back.

Despite his energetic outburst, Sanji covered his mouth as he yawned. "I am so sorry, but I hope you all forgive me. I think I'm going to start cleaning up the food and then head to bed. I think I might have had a little too much to drink."

With that he excused himself and started to pick up the empty food trays. He and the waiters made quick work of picking up the used dishes and bringing them to the kitchen. When everything but the refreshments were brought in he started on the dishes, and thanks to the industrial dishwashers,it didn't take too long. Soon everything but the pans that were soaking overnight were done.

Sanji yawned deeply and stretched his arms above his head. The blonde grabbed the pack of smokes out of his pocket and made for the door, heading outside. He headed toward the gazebo on the front lawn, the moonlight casting his shadow across the dark grass as he walked toward the white building.

He stepped through the archway as he stuck the cigarette in his mouth and lit it with his lighter. For a few moments everything was quiet, and Sanji relaxed as he listened to the crickets and the owls. Lightning bugs light up the air with their occasional flashes, making Sanji think of little souls floating through the air.

He sighed tiredly, but content, as he took a long drag of his cigarette, the end of lighting up like one of the lightning bugs. As he let out the smoke from his lungs he became aware of another presence.

"I've been waiting for you," a deep voice said, and despite knowing who it was, it made Sanji shiver.

"What do you want marimo?" Sanji asked, not turning around, as he tapped the ash off of his smoke.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," Zoro said sincerly and awkwardly, surprising Sanji. "I didn't realize that the bottle was something special to you. Shanks explained that it is for some one special to you."

The blonde chef felt like an ass. Of course Zoro didn't know the importance of the wine. No one outside of Sky Island's family, besides a few individuals, did. "Well, I suppose I can forgive you this one time," Sanji said in mock reproachfulness.

He was tired and he wanted to have this last smoke before he went to bed, but despite his feelings, Sanji found himself trying to make small talk.

"So, how long were you in Europe?" He asked a little timidly before taking another drag.

He didn't see the swordsman, but he heard him lean against one of the pillars in the archway as he said, "For just two years. I actually was born in Japan, but moved here as a child. I've lived here since then and only recently decided I wanted to explore the world."

Sanji was a little surprised. "That's the same with me," he said, "I was born in France and lived there until I was 5. Me and my foster father moved here when I was 6. "

He could hear Zoro shift behind him, "Oh? I thought you lived with Shanks and...Mihawk."

Sanji thought he heard the tone change a little in the marimo's voice when he said Mihawk, but he could've just imagined it.

"I do, baka. My foster father, Zeff, is dead. He died over 10 years ago in a car crash," he said a little bitterly and crushed his cigarette.

He was done with this conversation. When he turned around to leave, he found Zoro was there to bar his way with a very nicely muscled arm.

"Listen, I'm-"

"Shut up, moss head! I don't want your fucking pity! You asked and I told, now get the hell out of my way." His voice was quiet, but it might as well have been a shout.

Zoro glared at him, piercing Sanji with his almost black pupil. He removed his arm.

"Well, you shit cook, excuse me." He said so politely that Sanji classified it as sarcasm, " I'm so terribly sorry to have wasted your precious time." He bowed curtly, "Good night."

With that, the man left, stalking out of the gazebo.

Sanji couldn't help help but stare after him in confusion and anger. 'What the fuck?' He thought.

Muttering about being born under a bad star, Sanji put his hands into his pockets and headed up to his room. The party was winding down, the guests bidding eachother and their hosts good night. Soon it was quiet.

Sanji undressed carefully, and noticed the small blood stains on the back of his shirt. He sprayed the crap out of it with Spray and Wash before throwing it in the hamper along with his pants, socks, and underwear.

He pulled on a fresh pair of navy blue briefs and crawled hnder his covers. Even before his head hit the pillow, the blond was asleep.

* * *

" _Now, Sanji," Zeff said as he clutched his bleeding side with one hand and the young boys hand with the other, "You need to remember every word I'm about to tell you. Got it, brat?"_

 _Sanji nodded, tears falling out of his good eye. "But ,Dad, why-"_

 _Zeff interupted by pulling him closer to the old man, and whispered something in his ear. It sounded fuzzy and distorted in Sanji's ear. 10 year old Sanji pulled back, wide eyed, and stared in disbelief at his father._

 _"Dad, why are you telling me this? We're getting out of here together, right? You promised-" his quiet voice was drowned out as the sirens wail flooded the air._

 _The little blonde watched as Zeff stood shakily._

 _"Yeah, come on, eggplant. Let's get the hell out of here."_

 _His lopsided grin calmed Sanji's fear as he grabbed the old geezers hand, and they ran. They ran and ran and ran until they were both heaving for air, malnutrition and poor physical health cutting their endurance by over half._

 _"Come on, you shity old fart! We're almost there! Look, there's the road!" The blonds boy wheezed, tryig to encourage Zeff._

 _The old man motioned for Sanji to start crossing while he tried to catch his breath. Sanji's heart fluttered with hope. They were going to make it!_

 _It was then a screech sounded through the air. Sanji was roughly shoved forward, out of the way, on to the ground._

 _'Shitty old man!' He thought weakly, and turned to yell just that._

 _He laid there confused as he saw Zeff yell 'Run!' just before he was plowed over by a truck. The young boy stared in horror, frozen. Zeff's body was at a sickening angle, especially his neck._

 _"Eggplant," he chortled, blood running out of his mouth, nose, eyes and ears, "I love you."_

"NOOO!"

His arms and legs were pinned down by strong hands.

"Let go!" He screamed, flailing around. "They killed him!" Sanji howled, "They ran him down like fucking grass! It's all my fault! It's all my fault!" Sobs wracked his body. "Zeff!"

He wanted to reach out and touch the ghost face in front of his eye lids.

"Shhh..." a soothing voice broke through Sanji's haze of fear and sorrow.

The blonde could feel a hand stroking his hair, and down the side of his face. He cracked his eye open and whimpered as he saw the concerned faces of Shanks and Mihawk. He cried even harder.

He whimpered again as Shanks signaled to Mihawk to let go of his limbs, and let himself be pulled into a one armed hugged.

"It's okay, Sanji," the red head said softly as the blonde clung to him like a flea on a dog. "We're here, you're here, and you're safe."

"Why won't they stop? I'm so sick of this!"

Sanji was crying for a different reason now. He felt Shanks shake his head as the blonde burried his face into the mans neck. After a few moments he pulled away.

"I'm better now," he sighed, but not lying.

Shanks looked at him another moment before asking, "Do you want to talk?"

"I don't really remember much..." he confessed, his mind fully awake now. "Did I say anything?"

Mihawk placed a hand on his lovers shoulder, but looked at Sanji when he said, " Not much, but I think that it had something to do with Zeff and how he died."

His voice was level and calm, so Sanji didn't know if he was lying or not. After a minute he shrugged mentally and began to rise. It was then he realized that he was in just his underwear.

"Gah!" He yelped, gathering the blankets around his waist. "Get out of here, here you perverts! You could've had the decency to cover me up!"

The two men gave Sanji small smiles, knowing the blonde was trying to change the subject, but let it pass. After Shanks stood, they booth made their way out of Sanji's room, told him good night, and closed the door behind them.

The said man looked at the clock and saw it was just past 4:30 in the morning. Groaning from tiredness and embarrassment, Sanji got up and lit a cigarette.

As he finished it, he decided to fuck the consequences and unwrapped his bandages to take a well deserved shower.

The hot water was luke warm and gentle, feeling good on his irritated skin. He was careful as he scrubbed his blonde hair till it was white with shampoo, and slicked back from his face. It was the only time the blonde allowed his left eye to be uncovered.

Thinking about his left eye made Sanji think of the marimo's left eye. Then, even more unexpectedly, Zoro was naked in Sanji's mind. Despite being all alone, the blonde blushed furiously as his mind traitorously depicted the muscle head in all his naked, bronze skinned glory.

Sanji shook his head harshly as he risned out the shampoo, trying to stop the perverted thoughts in mind, but it was too late.

The grass head was now not just naked, but also in the shower. And it wasn't just any shower, it was Sanji's shower. Zoro's face was wet and pink from the heat, shinning gold skin captivating him as the water cascaded down his chiseled jaw and clung to his thick lashes.

He painted the other man standing there pinning Sanji in a gaze full want and lust, his dark eye half lidded. Them the marimo grabbed Sanjo roughly by his hips and-

The slam on the bathroom door made Sanji jump in surprise. He looked down and realized in horror he had been stroking himself and was now half hard. The slamming on the door persisted and the blonde growled as he turned on the cold water, taking care of his problem.

He jumped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, and hastily covered his left eye with his hair before yanking open the door. His face flushed he looked into the dark eye of the man he almost jacked off to only moments before.

The marimo had had his hand raised in a fist to knock, almost catching the blonde in the face as it came down.

"What the fuck, you baka?!" He exclaimed glaring at the man he was insulting.

Zoro was looking at him with a blush on his face as well, but quickly hid it with a glare.

"You were taking forever in the bathroom, curley que. There are other people in this place you know."

"No shit, Captain Obvious! " Sanji growled, " I meant what the hell are you doing in my room at 5 o'clock in the fuckig morning?! You have your own bathroom, moron!"

The marimo opened his mouth to argue, then closed it as he actually lokked at the room he was standing in. He blushed even deeper in embarrassment as he realized his mistake.

Sanji huffed in disbelief, then shivered. He realized he was dripping wet and only had a towel covering his waist, and thus his manhood.

"Now, get the fuck out of here, you sicko," he ordered.

"I'm not a sicko!" The other man said defensively, " I just got turned around is all! I can't help it that this place is huge!"

His words almost made Sanji laugh and pause. Where had he heard that before? He brushed it off, too annoyed to figure it out. Instead, he shoved Zoro out the door, slamming it behind him. He smiled as Zoro yelped. The door probably had clipped him on that perfect ass as it shut.

Sanji turned around and grabbed another cigarette and lit it. He could tell it was going to be a long day...

* * *

Sanji decided to have a brunch because Shanks and Mihawk were probably dead tired from last night and then this morning. He made a buffet style spread complete with the quiche from yesterday's breakfast, omelets, toast, french toast, waffles, pancakes, sausage, bacon, the works. He knew that Luffy lived up to his food eating rumors, so better to be safe then sorry.

He could tell it was going to be a humid day, so he dressed in a pair of white khaki shorts and a baby blue v-neck t-shirt. His hard shoes tapped loudly against the polished floors as he walked to the stairs and called up.

"Food is ready, you shit heads! Nami, Kaya, your food is ready, too, and awaiting!~"

Before he could even reach the dinning room the whole house shook like an earthquake as a herd of idiots, exception of Nami, and Kaya, stampeded down the stairs and toward the smell of food.

They all ran past Sanji without even a 'good morning' before they all flopped down in the chairs around the table and dug in.

"Why do I live with such animals?!" He wailed as they scarfed down the food. He was sure that deep, deep down that he was smiling and not dying from their lack of appreciation.

Everyone soon learned that Luffy had wanderimg hands, and under stood why Zoro, Ace, and even lovely Kaya brandished knives throughout the entire meal. The others soon adopted the same attitude except for Nami, whose plate remained untouched by Luffy.

Sanji discovered through the meal that Kaya meet Luffy at a charity banquet when he had eaten a whole five plates of shell fish he had been allergic to, and needed a doctors help.

She and Chopper had gotten along famously after that, Sanji noticing that the young teen was jealous that Ussop seemed to be hanging on the blonde woman's every word, and talked about their favorite procedures and other doctor related stuff.

Sanji also discovered that Luffy's brother Ace had just as big an appetite as his little brother and fell asleep at least 6 times spontaneously during the meal.

The blonde soon found out that Ace also had narcolepsy, a serious sleeping condition. And it seemedt to only be broken with Luffy reaching for the food on his unsuspecting older brother's plate. This caused the older D brother to awake with a snort and try to impale Luffy's wandering hand to the table.

Zoro just snorted in amusement and ate his food, totally used to the antics of the two idiots. Shanks laughed heartily, but Sanji could tell that the red head was tired, and Mihawk was more tense then usual.

Sanji hung his head in guilt and retreated to the kitchen. Once there he cleaned the already spotless kitchen, and busied himself till everyone was done, then started on preparing dinner for tonight when the first guests of the season arrived.

Now that he thought about it, the staff had been scheduled to arrive at any time now...

"BONJOUR!" a high voice cried, startling Sanji.

A woman with bright pink hair in a red suit burst in to the kitchen followed by a whole entourage of men and women alike.

She was tall, beautiful, and very busty. Sanji almost had a nose bleed right there. He felt the proverbial hearts in his eye before he realized she was in HIS kitchen.

"Excuse me, lovely lady, but-" he began

"Oh, Sanji, my darling! You've grown so big and handsome!" The pinkette gushed as she pulled the said man face first into her bosom.

A "Mm mmmmm!" was all Sanji could manage while the woman arms clamped around his neck even tighter. Any longer like this and Sanji WOULD have a nose bleed!

"Ah, Carmen," Sanji heard Mihawk say almost distastefully and Sanji was abruptly released.

As he gasped and sputtered for air, he blushed a deep pink from his neck to his ears.

"Sanji," the dark haired man continued, "This is Carmen Fougueux. She was a ...friend of Zeff's-"

"Yes, yes!" The said woman agreed, her pink eyes glittering. "Sanji and I have met before. Once upon a time when he was little he used to call me 'Auntie Carmen'!" She winked at Sanji and he was red as a beet. "Of course," she continued, with a red nail polished finger on her chin, "You probably don't remember. You were just a tyke then..." her light french accent stirred a fuzzy memory inside Sanji. He let it grow clearer until he gasped, horrified.

"OH GOD!" He exclaimed, "You're THAT Carmen?! You're the reason I got the sex talk 5 years too early!"

His chargin increased with her laugh. "You're so cute le petit prince!"

"Anyway..." Mihawk interupted, dragging the conversation back to its purpose, "Sanji, I've asked Carmen to be your replacement when you leave."

Sanji was shocked for a moment before he exploded. The kitchen grew deathly silent.

"What the hell?! What do you mean, your replacing me? I've been here almost my whole life!"

"Yes, Sanji, you have been. But come fall and graduation, you'll be gone. You still plan on going to France, are you not? We need to start preparing and planning for that."

Sanji's anger deflated as quickly as it had flared. He got where Mihawk was coming from, he rally did, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

The blonde stared at the shadows under the older mans piercing eyes. He hung his head.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

The other man nodded once in acknowledgment then said, "Sanji, you are to show Carmen around as you see fit." Then the man left.

The said man hummed nervously, bittingnhis bottom lip. Finally he spoke.

"Alright, my dear," he sighed but smiled kindly, "Let's start over here..."

The banging of pots and pans resumed as he lead Carmen aroung the kitchen, explaining all he could think of. He switched between english and french as he talked to the others around him. He told them every thing they needed to know about the kitchen, and how he expected to be run.

Next he explained the menues to Carmen, and where the food was stored.

"You are free to add you own dishes to the menu," he added as he showed her the recipe books for each of the dishes on the list. "That way we can ease your cooking style into peoples mouths. The transition will be easier that way."

The pink haired woman nodded, jabbering to her two assistants, Leo and Jose, who each in turn nodded enthusiastically to whatever she said.

Much too soon he was done and explained what he had been cooking for the guests that evening. Carmen clapped and shouted her commands in french. The workers immediately began to get to work.

Sanji was at a loss of what to do. Carmen insisted that she could take care of everything and to leave it to her. Never going against the request of a lady Sanji was stuck with just watching.

Carmen was just like Zeff had been when the old geezer was In the kitchen : bossy, nosey, and unforgiving.

Carmen was, now that Sanji realized who she was, in the All Blue nomination cooking category as one of the top 5 best cooks in the world. She was known around the world for her culinary skill, and her expertise in the kitchen. Sanji was just a nobody compaired to her.

But that was Sanji's dream: to get to be the All Blue's top chef. Zeff had been there once upon a time, and Sanji had always wanted to prove to the old man that he could do it, too. He would do it. Sanji had sworn an oath.

Finally, after getting in the way enough times, Carmen yelled at him to get out and he happily obliged her. He headed into the dinning room and saw it empty, all the others had headed off to their jobs and to show the arriving staff to their rooms.

Sanji's gaze flicked around until it settled on the stage in the corner of the large room, and then the guitar in its rack.

A tune came to him, a tune he remember as one Zeff used to hum from time to time as he cooked. It had been a love song, if Sanji remembered right.

He walked over to the guitar and picked it up gently in his hands. It was Brook's, but Sanji was sure that the man wouldn't mind as long as he was careful...

The blondes mind went back to a time when all he could do was hope with all his heart that Zeff wasn't really gone. That someone was wrong, or it had all been a bad dream...

He ran his fingers over the strings soflty, eliciting a warm hum from them, and wishing he could hear that tune again.

* * *

Okay guys, sorry if that chapter was poo. I got to get some of the boring stuff out before the good stuff can come! Love you all and thanks for you love and support! X3


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing because I would never be clever enough to think of things like this on my own.

Fred and George Weasley Twins: I am so glad you are enjoying the story! :) I really like how this fanfic is shaping out, and already have the next chapter planned out. Enjoy! XD

Kpuffs: I love Pride and Prejudice, too! It's one of my favorite movies ever! I'm a Mr. Darcy fan girl all the way! Haha. It makes me so happy that you like it! Sanji's eye was actually just something I threw in there on a spur of the moment. I actually didnt think of making it a blind eye till I wrote the dream for the second chapter. Xp

HildyaOrul: I think you will like this chapter because it answers some questions like how Sanji and Zeff met, what fucking money the bad guys are looking for, and why they want Sanji, but it also brings up more questions. XD Can't give away everything just yet! Yes, it hurt a little to write Zeffs death scene, and it was tragic, but thats not the only reason Sanji has nightmares. As for Sanji going to Paris... we'll see... *evil chuckle*

* * *

A One Piece Twist

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Zoro was off training in a secluded grove, the shade providing little protection from the days heat.

Sweat dripped off the shirtless man, blurring the vision of his good eye as he lifted his weights above his head, then brought them down in a graceful arc till they were just inches from the ground. He repeated this motion as he counted.

"929... 930... 931..."

Zoro used all of his meditation training to keep his mind focused, but as it had all morning, his mind wandered to the image of a mostly naked, wet, and extremely sexy cook. Sweet Jesus...

"1111... 1120... 1111 - aah! " Damn it, he lost count again!

Frustrated, Zoro put the weights down and they sink 3 inches into the ground. The green haired man ran a hand through his sweat dampened hair, and blushed, thinking about earlier that morning.

When he had walked into the cooks room he thought he had heard someone in the bathroom murmering and had stepped closer only to realize it wasn't murmurs, but moaning.

Like a pervert he had stood there and listened to the cooks moans and gasps until Zoro's pajama bottoms had grown too tight, then he had banged on the the door before anything else embarrassing happened. Not really his best plan...

God, he was such an idiot.

His musings were interrupted by foot steps on the grass. He turned and saw Shanks and Mihawk walking toward him. He raised his hand in greeting, but lowered it as he saw their faces.

He waited until they reached him before he asked, "What's the matter?"

Shanks sank down to the grass without a word. Mihawk continued to stand, but placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder in support. Zoro concluded that whatever was coming, he was not going to like it.

"Zoro..." Shanks began, and then halted. The dark haired man squeezed the shoulder under his hand, prompting the other man to continue.

"I know that we only met yesterday, and that you are Luffy's friend. It feels like I know you already, but... I hesitate to ask this of you..." The redhead looked up at Zoro intently.

The swordsman could tell this was serious." I'm sure whatever you ask will be fine. What is it?"

"I need you to look after Sanji for us, Zoro." The request was said quickly, bluntly. It stilled Zoro into silence.  
"You - I - what?" Zoro finally sputtered, "Look after him? I'm pretty sure the cook doesn't need looking after -"

"He does, Zoro," Shanks interrupted him. "He's bound so tight, one of these days he's going to snap and something bad is going to happen. That boy may not look at, but he's got scars all over his body, physically and emotionally."

Zoro looked at the two men disbelieving.

"Are you going to tell me what he needs to be looked after from at least?"

The two men shared a look and Mihawk nodded once in confirmation. Shanks took a deep breath before speaking.

"We... don't - gah!" the redhead exhaled, frustrated, as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "I think I better just start from the beginning. You know that Mihawk and I adopted Sanji when he was a boy, well, before he lived with us, he lived with another man.

"Yeah, Zeff, right?" Zoro guessed, watching Shanks.

"Yes," surprise was present in the older man's voice."Well, anyway, Zeff was everything to saw Sanji, even if the kid doesn't want to ever admit it, and Sanji was everything to Zeff. Their story begins almost 16 years ago.

"Sanji was traveling on a cruise liner with his mother, when the ship was caught in a storm. It was sunk, dashed against another ship, and both crews were lost along with Sanji's mother. There were only two survivors, but public record shows that there were none. Sanji was one of the survivors, so was Zeff. "Zeff saved Sanji from drowning that night, and was able to find a rock to cling too. But that was just the beginning..." Shanks voice trailed off. Zoro waited patiently as the other man collected his thoughts.

"I don't know the details, but what I could gather from Zeff, it was horrible. They washed up on that rock during high tide, so when the water receded the next day, they were trapped.

"Zeff told me that they were stranded on that rock for over 2 months with just one bag of food to this sustain themselves."  
The young swordsman was silent, unsure of what to say.

"But Zeff found something else during the storm that night," Shanks continued, "It was a bag full of money and illegal guns. Zeff checked the guns, but kept money, vowing to himself that if they made it out alive, he would give everything he could to Sanji to give the kid a proper life. But had he known what that money was attached to, then I'm sure he would have let it drift away in the waves of the sea...

"Finally, after all those months stranded, a fishing boat found them and they were brought back to Europe. It was two years after that just contacted Mihawk and I, after almost 10 years of silence, asking us for a favor. So, in the guise of a cooking advertisement, we reconnected. It was then he explained to us what happened and who Sanji was.

"Then less than a year later the accident happened. Sanji and Zeff were missing for over 2 weeks, and when they were finally found, Zeff was dead and Sanji was in a coma." The redhead's voice broke, full of emotion as he recalled the memories.

"Those two went through so much together, and then to lose Zeff the way he did? It - it's just heartbreaking -" "The red haired narrator's voice broke again, but this time unable to continue. Mihawk squeezed Shanks shoulder lovingly, and gazed at him briefly before looking at the shocked swordsman.

"Needless to say, Roronoa Zoro, Sanji is a broken child in a man's body. He hides his true feelings behind his snarky quips and his angry outbursts. Sanji needs a friend, a confidante. He needs someone he considers on par with himself, and we think that someone could be you.

"Time is running out, Zoro. And he will not be under our protection much longer. Once he leaves the US, they will find him again. Is not a question anymore of 'if' it's one of 'when'."

It was deathly silence after that. The only sound was the wrestling of the trees leaves in the buzz of insects. Zoro finally flopped down on the grass.

"You guys are really serious, aren't you? The cook really is in danger?"

The two older men nodded and Shanks stood up. Zoro was so caught up in his own thoughts he almost didn't hear Mihawk add quietly, "He mustn't know the truth Zoro. Sanji has mentally blocked out all of the memories of the accident and he knows nothing about the money.

To bring that up would prove a fatal mistake because if he ever found out, it would tear him apart. He would blame himself, then do something equally stupid by trying to fix it."

Mihawk's words left no room to argue. With that said, they turned to leave.

"With all that clarified, this discussion never happened, understood?" Mihawk stated, glancing his golden eyes over his shoulder at Zoro.

The younger man grunted in agreement before voicing a question that had been buzzing through his mind. "How many other people in your family know about this?"

"Everyone to an extent," Mihawk answered simply. "Let us know your decision by sundown," then the two men left him to his thoughts.

Zoro had lost all motivation to train now. All he could think about was the incredible story he had been told. The hardships Sanji had lived through amazed him. It was also amazing how he was able to cope with what he could remember. Whatever had happened to the cook in those two weeks must have horrendous...

'If he should ever find out, it would break him... He blame himself... try to fix it...' The words came back to Zoro and they slapped him in the face.

He would have to lie to the cook everyday, just like everyone else. The thought sickened him to his stomach, bile rising in his throat.

Zoro rose, kicking off his boots and whipping down his pants. He threw them next to his weights and walked to the waters edge. He needed a swim.

* * *

Sanji walked towards the lake, still moping about being kicked out of his own kitchen, but with a renewed determination toward his drea. He was so preocupied with his thoughts, he failed to notice the discarded clothes or the weights on the grass.

He walked along the lakeshore, kicking absently at a rock with his boot as he made his way toward the dock. The breeze ruffled his hair, but did little to help Sanji, the blasts of hot air making him more uncomfortable.

"What are you doing, shit cook?"

Zoro's voice startled him, but when he jerked his blonde head up to retort, the words caught in his throat.

Zoro was walking up and out of the lake almost naked. Sure, he wasn't completely naked, but the black boxers the moss head was swimming in certainly left nothing to the imagination.

Sanji's heart sped up, and his pants tightened as he took in the man before him. Just as he had imagined the other man's wet skin glistened. And the muscles on him! Damn, his muscles had muscles.

'He must've been chiseled and sculpted by a god!' Sanji thought in wonder, the man stretching like a relaxed cat, prompting his biceps to flex.

As his eye traveled appreciatively over the other man's chest, his gaze stopped at the huge scar that stretched from Zoro's left shoulder to his right hip. Holy fuck. It looked like the man had almost been cleaved in two!

"Get some clothes on, you pervert!" Sanji managed to say, finally pulling his eye away, and blushed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sanji saw the marimo place his hands on his hips.

"I was out here first, dartboard," he said, "If you have a problem with it, go back to your kitchen."

Oh, yeah. His kitchen...

"I would, but I've been replaced," he said gloomily.

"Haha!" the green haired bastard laughed as he walked up the beach and onto the dock that stretched out into the water. "Replaced. That's classic, cook!"

"Shut up, you bastard!" Sanji yelled angrily. He vividly remembered that jackass's words from last night at the party about Robin and him. "You don't know a single, damn thing about me!"

Zoro turned and sneered at him cheekily, but for some reason it looked forced, almost like Zoro didn't want to be getting Sanji upset. But the other man's next words threw that theory out the proverbial window.

"Ah, poor crap cook!" he said, his words dripping with mock sweetness and sarcasm, "Good riddance, I say. Your cooking is as bad as your taste in wine!"

Sanji howled in rage as he raced over to where the plant head was. Unfortunately there were three things he forgot to take into account: his speed, the smoothness of the deck's wood, and the dumb seaweed brain's uncanny reflexes utterly failing.

He had fully intended to shove Zoro over the side and into the water by using his speed and sudden weight to throw the other man off balance, but as he tried to slow his advance his shoes squeaked across the wood, preventing him from stopping before he crashed into the marimo. Sanji expected Zoro to dodge the blonde chef's clumsy move, but instead he slammed face first into Zoro, his mouth crushing against the mans's cheek and pitched them both over into the water.

The water enveloped him, darkness stealing his vision as the breath was driven out of his lungs. He felt strong hands wrap around his upper arms and chest, hauling him back onto the dry dock.

The blonde hacked up the water he had swallowed, rubbing his chest.

"Gah!" he gagged as his hand went to the left side of his face.

Thankfully his hair had plastered itself into its proper place. It was then he noticed that the marimo was leaning over him, a concerned expression on his face.

The blonde stilled, looking into the dark green orb that was in turn looking into his cerulean one.

"Are you alright, cook?"

Sanji's head nodded with the littlest of movement. "Yeah... you?"

The moss head above him gave a short bark of a laugh, then a lopsided smile. "Maybe you should have thought about that _before_ you tried to push me in."

The water from Zoro dripped lazily across his golden skin and onto Sanji with soft pit-pats as silence descended. The blonde should've found this uncomfortable, hell, he should've found it awkward,(after all there was a mostly naked man practically on top of him!) but Sanji was afraid that if he moved, the moment would end.

The blonde choose to scoff. "Che. Whatever, but I didn't _try_ to push you in, I _did_ push you in," he answered lamely.

The deep laughter rumbled through Zoro's his body, vibrating against Sanji. He would've blushed, but all the blood in his head was traitorously going south in response to the warm sound.

"Baka marimo," he mumbled, turning his head to the side, and angry at himself for getting so worked up over a stupid plant.

"A baka and a marimo, huh? So, you've been to Japan?"

The question caught Sanji by surprise. "Uh, yeah, but only for like a few months. I was there for a cooking competition a few years ago." He smiled cheekily then, "I was there just long enough to learn how to swear efficiently."

It was then Sanji imagined, against his will of course, Zoro huffing in amusement, then slamming his lips against the blonde's. He imagined the tan man pulling Sanji tightly against his broad chest and kissing him senseless before taking the said chef right then and there on the lake deck. Little did the blonde know that the swordsman had a similar idea.

But none of that happened.

"Che. That sounds like you, cook," Zoro said instead, and shifted from bending over Sanji to being beside him, the standing up on his feet.

He reached for Sanji to help him up, and the said man took the offered hand, and walked back with Zoro to the grass and the trees were the marimo's things lay. He flopped down on the grass and watched as Zoro grabbed his shorts and disappear behind a nearby tree. Sanji sighed, grateful the man had at least _some_ modesty.

Sanji knew he had spoke too soon when the man in question came back a moment later wringing out his wet boxers, not to mention his shorts were unbuttoned and unzipped. Not that Sanji was really looking, though. It was just super noticeable is all.

"Put a shirt on, moss head," Sanji snapped, leaning against a tree, " And close your pants!"

"You're not my mother!" Zoro snapped as he hung his underwear in a branch like a flag on a pole, then flopped unceremoniously onto the grass, " It's way to fucking muggy for that. Plus, its easier to take a piss. With my pants like this, all I need to do is-"

"Yeah, yeah! I get it," the blonde interrupted, absolutely _not_ wanting to think about the appendage the swordsman was going to mention. "Just stop talking."

Sanji looked away until he heard the soft snores of the man next to him. He then turned his head and stared at Zoro, taking in every inch of his chiseled body, and wondering what the hell about him was so familiar...

His thoughts were interrupted as the shitty swordsman stretched in his sleep, lengthening his body, and successfully worming his shorts down just enough to reveal a patch of curly green hair. Sanji's face flushed with heat and had to force his eyes down the man's legs and think of the nastiest sexual image he could muster to calm down the tightening in his pants. He stiffled a groan and forced himself to box breath a full cycle two times before his eyes caught on the scars that were across Zoro's ankles.

Curious, he leaned a little closer, and wondered what the fuck all these scars were from.

"They're from fights," Zoro's voice said, reading his mind.

Sanji jumped with a startled squeak. He turned his head back to Zoro and met his gaze.

"Oh.. y-yeah?" he asked a little nervously and reached into his pockets for a smoke.

It was then he realized they were drenched. Son of a bitch...

"Yeah. The one's on my ankles were from protecting Luffy from a crazy candle maker in New Zealand. He had both my feet encased in over a yard of wax." He smiled at hte memory. "We had a good feast that night..."

"You ATE him? You seriously ate the candle maker?!"

"What?" Zoro asked startled, then processed what Sanji said. "Oh God, no, we didn't EAT him, you idiot! We threw his crazy ass in jail after we beat the shit out of him! He had been terrifying the indigenous people for years, so after he was gone, they gave us a 7 day feast." He yawned and placed his hands behind his head.

"So... how did you get the scars on your ankles?" Sanji asked, not really seeing how that fit into the story.

"Oh. Well, my feet were stuck in the wax," Zoro said, like it was obvious.

"...And?"

"There is no 'and'. I did the only logical thing to do! I tried to cut my feet off."

"..."

Then

"That is THE most dumb ass thing I have ever heard of!"

Zoro looked at Sanji offended. "And what would YOU have done, oh wise one?"

"I wouldn't have tried to cut my own own feet off, baka! I would've just sliced up the wax!" What a moron!

"Oi, the wax was like steel! I couldn't cut through it at the time, so I tried to do the second best thing! Luffy's life was one the line!"

Sanji had no words to deem the marimo's story with a response. He then decided to move on.

"Is the scar on your chest from your kendo competition?"

"More or less," the grass head responded, still pouting.

"Mihawk gave you that, right?"

He watched as the other man's face paled a little, his mouth open like a fish trying to breath air.

"Who told you?!" he finally mange to say.

Sanji huffed, "No one, moron! It wasn't that hard to figure it out. You are super awkward around the man, and the way you look at him is unnerving to say the least. Plus," he added smugly, "If you are planning on becoming the best, then Mihawk is the man you would have to eventually beat."

Zoro was silent, and Sanji watched his face flicker with many different looks before settling on his usual scowl.

Sanji was about to say more when he spotted a boat out in the water. He could tell that there was a young woman with a parasol, and a young man with an abnormally long nose. Although he couldn't see much, he knew that the couple was Kaya and Ussop. Not wanting to be caught in such a questionable situation with a mostly naked marimo, and knowing that Ussop would never even try to find out the truth before spouting a ridiculous story, he got to his feet and brushed off the wet grass that clung to his damp clothes.

"Well, I gotta go, moss head. Don't stay out here too long," he advised, " We don't want a little dehydrated marimo. And put some damn clothes on! I doubt the guest's will appreciate a naked man just waltzing around."

With that, the blonde chef turned to walk away and resisted the urge not to growl in frustration and go and kick the bastard as he heard the other man turn over and start to snore before Sanji was even more then a few yards away. What he didn't know was that Zoro was not really asleep, but thinking of an answer to a decision that could effect his relationship with the blonde.

The young chef stalked away, oblivious, in annoyance, deciding that some ice cream was in order.

* * *

Okay you guys! I am so sorry about the lack of updates, but it is pure typing procrastination and chapter ending writers block. Thank you all for your reviews and support! I love you all! X3


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nada. zip, zelch

Kpuffs: Heheheh! YES! Well, technically, it's an ALMOST naked Zoro. You are too funny. I hope that was a good 'whaaa', though. :) Hope you like this next chapter!

Guest: Here is the next installment! Enjoy!

* * *

A One Piece Twist

Chapter 6

Sanji groaned as he turned over in his bed, and buried half his face into the pillow. He opened his eye into a slit, looking around his room. Except... this was _not_ his room...

He shot up into a sitting position. What the hell? Where was he? The hair on the back of his neck rose, memories-or dreams?- flashing through his mind in lightning fast images.

Clutching his head, Sanji shivered violently. He tried steady his shaky breaths as his half asleep mind tried to process the last 24 hours.

Okay, he had woken up...then Carmen came, then Zoro and...then...then... Sanji mind failed to remember as he shivered again.

God, he couldn't even think, he was so freaking cold-oh yeah! He had gone into the freezer! He relaxed, realizing he was at the clinic.

"Hey, there, man. You okay?" a soft voice asked.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, and starred in surprise at the young man in the bed across from him.

"Yeah...thanks..." the blonde replied, a little skeptical of talking to the unknown teen.

He looked young, probably 18, and was relatively thin, with short scruffy hair, and a beard. The dark circles under his eyes made Sanji think that the man hadn't had a proper nights sleep in days.

He wore a simple olive green tank top and a pair of grey jeans. Grey sweat bands with blue stripes occupied his wrists, making his olive skin look darker. Or maybe that was just the sunburn...

The man tilted his head to the side, a questioning look on his face. The two spherical red earrings in each of his ears caught Sanji's eyes, drawing him from his rude starring.

"I'm sorry. Did you ask me something?" the blonde asked embarrassed.

"Yeah," the teen said, laughing lightly. "I asked what your name is."

He blushed."Oh," then after a moment, "I'm Sanji."

The man nodded, smiling. "I'm Gin."*

An awkward silence filled the room.

"So," Gin said after a few minutes, "what are you in here for?"

Sanji shook his head, and blushed again. "If I tell you, you'll laugh at me."

Gin's big eyes smiled at the cook. "Nah. I'm sure it's not as bad as what got me placed here." The laugh was barely contained in the other mans voice.

Sanji found himself smiling,too, the awkwardness quickly disappearing. "Oh, really? I doubt that."

The brunette laughed out loud this time. "Wouldn't doubt it. It's the most pathetic and embarrassing reason to end up in the hospital."

The cook laughed as well. "Try me."

Gin shifted from slouching against his wall to sitting up straight, and crossing his legs Indian style.

"Well, it all started this morning, actually, when I slept through my early morning training. When I get up, my friends are already out the door and piling into the car, howling at me to hurry up. I barely manage to get ready in time before they left me behind. They tell me that we are heading to town for breakfast, and of course, in my hurry to get down to them, I forgot my fucking wallet!"

The young man shakes his head at his own foolishness, face palming himself.

"So, when i get there, the others leave me to go across the street while I get out the emergency credit card, then headed over to the dinner myself. Crisis averted, right, but no! When I'm about to cross the street, the old lady I was walking behind gets _mugged_!"

The disbelief in his voice at his bad luck had Sanji laughing.

"What happened after that?" the blonde asked, caught up in the teens story.

"I chased after the bastard, of course!" he exclaimed, almost falling over in his enthusiasm. "And DAMN that mugger could fucking run! I swear to God, I chased him on foot for,like, a good 20 minutes before I lost him in the woods. It's so freaking embarrassing!"

Sanji was a little confused. "Why? How is that embarrassing? Running after a mugger in the woods for a lady is the right thing to have done, even if you weren't able to get the item back!" he encouraged.

Gin shook his head. "Not good enough when I'm the captain of my martial arts team. We're here to compete for _nationals_! And I got suckered and stranded in the middle of the Godforsaken woods, wandering around for hours in this hellish heat, all because a snot nosed _kid_ out ran me! God, the shame! Lucky for me that the doctor found me before I could die of heat stroke!"

Gin finally finished his story, crossing his well toned arms across his chest. "Now, what could be more embarrassing then that?!"

Sanji shook his head. "Getting locked in a walk in freezer for 3 hours?"

Gin eyes widened and his mouth scrunched up to hide a smirk.

"Okay," he admitted placing his hands on his lap in defeat, "That is pretty embarrassing."

"Oh, it gets worse," Sanji assured his audience of one. "I was locked in the walk in freezer in my _own_ kitchen, by my _own_ brother with the help from some of my _father's_ apparent disciple's disciple's."

Gin couldn't hold back the smile on his lips.

"How the hell did that happen?" he asked, a little confused, but the question didn't hide the teens smile.

"I'm a chef at the country club owned by my parents, " the blonde explained.

Gin nodded in understanding. "That sounds like a rather _chilling_ experience. May I ask what you were in the freezer for?"

Sanji rolled his eye at the pun, but before he had a chance to answer, the door to the room creaked open, and a timid head of brown hair peered in.

"SANJI!" Chopper exclaimed in relief.

The young teen ran into the room and jumped on to the bed, tackling the said man into a hug.

"Hey, hey, Chopper!" the blonde laughed, " My scratches, remember?"

"Oh, Sanji!" the little guy wailed, ignoring Sanji's teasing, "I thought you were gonna die for sure!"

Chopper buried his face into Sanji's chest, sniffling.

"You were so cold and blue. I'm gonna kill Ussop for being so damn stupid!"

Sanji wrapped his long arms around the young teen, smiling gently.

"God thing you and Kureha were here to thaw me out, then,huh?" Oh, God. Kureha had seen him naked

Then he sat back on his heels, and let Sanji ruffle his brown hair.

"How long was I out?" he asked Chopper, wrapping the blankets tighter around himself.

"Not long," the young doctor informed him. "About a day. You've been sleeping like a rock."

The blonde rubbed his eye sleepily and yawned. He sure didn't feel like he slept. He looked around the room and caught sight of Gin's amused face.

"Oh, Gin, this is my brother Chopper."

Gin bobbed his head up and down.

"I know. He was the one that found me in the woods."

He wanted to slap himself. Of course. Chopper WAS the freaking doctor after all.

"Now, Sanji," Chopper asked. fixing his yellow and white stripped shirt over his orange shorts as he got off the bed, "Why were you in the freezer in the first place?" There was something in Chopper's eyes that Sanji did not like. Something was up...

Two sets of eyes looked at him curiously.

"I-well, you see... I went in there to get an ice cream at first..." he sighed when he realized there was no other way to explain it. "Then I was dared by Ussop to see who could stand in the cold the longest. He left to get the stop watch and forgot I was still in there..."

He picked at the invisible lint on his blankets as his ears turned red at Chopper's laugh. That little brat!

"Shut up, you bastard. How was I supposed to know the dumb ass would forget a bet the he made? The ONE time I agree to one of his stupid dares and he fucking tells Leo and Jose to lock the door!"

As he pouted, Chopper tilted his head to the side with a lopsided smile. He watched as his brother went to a cupboard, and then rummaged around. After a moment, he came back to Sanji with a thermometer.

It was put into his mouth until it beeped.

"Your body temperature is a little low, but I'm sure a walk in this heat will raise it in no time. Sanji, I deem you are free to go at anytime. Gin," Chopper turned to the other teen, Sanji noted, almost shyly, "You are free to go as well. Make sure to drink plenty of water."

The later man stood, stretching his legs, and cracking his joints.

"Thanks, Doc. It was really nice of you to take me in, but if I could ask one more favor?"

"Yes?"

"Is there a place where I could take a quick shower before I leave?"

Chopper blushed at the complimentary title.

"Yeah, you jerk! Right around the corner is a bathroom with a shower. Everything you'll need is in the cabinet under the sink!"

Gin smiled in thanks, then walked out of the room. Sanji watched Chopper's eyes follow the older teen.

"No, Chopper, "Sanji said, leaning toward the young teen. It was payback time.

"Yes..?" he asked uncertainly.

"Don't think that I've forgotten about the other night with the fact that she was most likley the one that gave the examination." Silence answered him. "She was,wasn't she?! That old hag saw me naked!" Sanji's hand shot out and grabbed the other teen by the upper arm before he could slip away. " Tell me, was it her her evil plan?Or yours?"

With a squeak from Chopper, Sanji could tell that something along the line of his guess was right.

The younger teen yelped for mercy as Sanji's face became dark with sinister thoughts, but the blonde was not feeling very merciful at the moment. Not merciful at all.

* * *

By the time Sanji was done with giving Chopper several goose egg sized bumps on his head, Gin had made his way back into the room, looking alot better.

"Thanks, Doc," Gin said, patting his now clean shaven face dry with a towel, then doing the same thing to his dark brown hair.

Chopper groaned on Sanji's bed, lumps still forming.

Sanji just blew some smoke lazily from his mouth.

"Where are you staying, Gin?" He asked around the butt of the cancer stick as he bent over to tie his shoes.

"Uh... I honestly don't remember, " he confessed, scratching the back of his neck. "The only thing I remember is that the owner is a beauty."

"That'd be Boa Hancock at Amazon Lily." Sanji confirmed, trying not to get a nose bled from the thought of that godess's perfect rack. "Well, that club is a good hour and half walk from here."

Gin grabbed a white jacket from the chair next his bed after slipping his sneakers on. As Gin shook out the material, Sanji could see red sea serpents stiched, one on each side, onto the lapels. The design was very oriental and similar to the one on the bag the brunette slung over his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Sanji. Just give me a map-"

"Shut up," Sanji ordered, standing up straight.

Gin's mouth shut with a click, eyes wide as Sanji continued.

"You're coming home with me. My place is only a half hour walk away, and then we can drive you to Amazon Lily in the car."

Sanji tapped the toe of his shoe against the clinic's tiles absently, finishing his cigarette. He threw it away, exhaling the last of the smoke. "Now, come on."

"What about the bill?"

"Che. Don't worry about it. It's on the house. Kureha owes me a favor any way."

The blond reassured Gin and adjusted the collar of the shirt Chopper had groggily given him to change into. He and Gin said their farewells to the young doctor who just weakily waved goodbye.

"Is he alright?" The brunette asked.

"Yep. He's fine." Sanji said, directing them onto the dirt road that lead to Sky Island.

He eyed the bag on Gin's shoulder fir a few minutes before deciding to ask a question.

"What's in the bag?"

Gin seemed surprised that he had asked, but smiled as he answered.

"My tonfa."**

"Really? Is that the martial arts you are training in for the nationals?"

Gin nodded his head his head enthusiastically. "Yeah."

"That's pretty cool. I learned Savate growing up from my old man, and even joined a club in highschool."

Sanji laughed, remembering all the fights he got into, wishing Zeff was there to scold him for being a block head.

"Were you any good?" The other man asked.

"Not good enough to make it to nationals, but I got into enough fights to become decent." he laughed.

"Maybe we should spare sometime," Gin laughed as well, "I have a feeling you're more then "decent", Sanji."

A blush spread across the cooks far skin.

"Where are you from?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Not from around here," Gin said, his full lips tilting into a sad smile. "Both my parents died when I was young, and the man that took me in passed on almost 2 years ago. Since then I've been wandering alot, earning money from competitions and whatever work I can find."

Sanji was surprised.

"You don't have any family at all?" He asked.

"No, not really." The sadness in the teens voice increased as he continued. "I had a sister, well the man who took me in had a daughter and I considered my sister, but we were really close."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Gin sighed, running a hand through his hair. The sun's heat had already dried the brunette's hair.

"I-I was gone at school when it happened. It was a year after my adoptive father died. I came home after being gone at school to a house that was empty. My adoptive brother hadn't spoken to me in over three years, so he never told me she had... She had broke her neck falling down the stairs."

He felt bad for Gin. Not pity or anything like that, just sadness.

"I would say Im sorry, but I've lost people I've loved, so I know those words don't equate to much..."

Gin turned slightly and gave Sanji a heart wrenching smile.

"Thanks, Sanji."

The older teen's voice was still sad, but not as lost as before. Gin's heat came off his body in waves as he walked closer to Sanji, making him shiver. He smiled back at Gin and took out another cigarette. He hesitated offering one to the younger man. Smoking wasn't exactly healthy.

Then Gin solved the blondes dilema.

"Can I have one?"

"Yeah," Sanji said, slipping a stick out of the pack.

The brunette took the cancer stick from Sanji's nimble fingers and placed it between his lips.

"Light me up?" He asked the cook.

Sanji flicked on the lighter and held it between them so they could light up at the same time.

Gin was close enough for Sanji to see that his eyes were a exotic green, flecked with dark green and gold specks.

They had stopped on the side of the road, and stood that way, to Sanji, for what felt like an eternity.

Finally Gin straightened, and took a long drag. Sanji thought that it was actually pretty sexy the way the smoke curled up into the air as Gin let it out slowly.

They resumed their walk in comfortable silence, the only sound being the rattling of Gin's tonfa in his bag as they clacked together.

The heat of the sun was shaded by the tree's and the gray clouds that were slowly unfolding across the sky.

"It looks like it'll rain tonight, thank God," Sanji observed, his footsteps kicking up clouds of dirt dust to emphasis his point.

The younger man studied the sky.

"Yeah. Smells like a huge storm..."

The blonde laughed.

"You sound like my sister Nami," he said, "She is always "smelling" the weather."

The brunette smirked as he took another drag.

"So, how many siblings do you have?"

Sanji let out his own cloud of smoke. "Four. My younger sister Nami, an older brothe Brook, and two younger brothers. Well, technically, we're all adopted so we're not related by blood, we're connected by our dreams. We're nakama."

"That's cool, Sanji. My adopted brother hates me," Gin laughed bitterly.

"Why?"

"I don't...really want to talk about it. No offense, Sanji, but I don't want you to feel like I'm some sort of charity case. I've lived alone and have taken care of myself for years, and if that's how you feel then you can fuck off." the young teen said, crushing his cigarette under a boot.

Sanji nodded, stubbing out his own cigarette. He could understand perfectly well what Gin was saying. It was how he felt all the time.

"Well, we're here." Sanji said as they rounded the final bend, and showing the expense of green grass and lawn that lead up to the main building.

"Wow," Gin whistled, impressed. "You guys must be really loaded."

Sanji laughed. "My parents had some money that they saved up from their careers and used it to invest in this place. Every penny made off of this place is re-emburssed for repairs."

They walked up the gravel driveway and as they approached, Usopp shot out from behind the house.

"Get back here, you fucking long nose!"

The roar sounded angrily through the air as Zoro rounded the corner seconds behind Usopp.

He felt Gin stiffen beside him and heard him gasp. Zoro stopped dead, too, looking strangely at Gin.

"Z-Zoro?" Gin asked in disbelief.

Sanji look between the two men.

"You two know each other?"

"Yes," Gin answered. "He is - he WAS - my brother."

* * *

BUM BUM BUUUUM! Oh no! What's going to happen? Even I don't even know yet, so I'll let you know when I do! ;) Please remember to review!

A/N: * As in the manga/ anime it is spelt 'Gin', but it is pronouced 'Geen' or 'Ghin'. Its not pronounced lik 'gin' the alcohol! I hope that helps.

** tonfa are weapons used in martial arts. They are a set of two perpendicular 15-20 inch sticks with a handle a quarter of the way down. In the manga and anime Gin's tonfa are tipped with heavy iron balls


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I never shall.

Kpuffs: I am truly sorry, but I just couldn't resist! Bwhahahaha! *evil grin* Enjoy this update! ;)

vampress7: I

am so happy you like the story! Recommend it to all your friends hehe. Jk... unless you really want to of course! :) Here's the next chapter!

* * *

A One Piece Twist

Chapter 7

Sanji was in shock. Brother? Gin and Zoro? Brothers? How was that even possible? Well, he obviously knew HOW, but the news sent his mind reeling.

"You fucking bastard!" Zoro snarled, breaking through to Sanji.

Gin's eyes were hard and cold, in expression that replaced his earlier one of surprise. Both Gin and Zoro's stances were stiff, ready to fight.

"Guys," Sanji said as he pulled himself together, "Wait, before you do anything-"

Zoro's angry growl interrupted him. Suddenly, two very sharp looking katanas arched toward Gin, who was ready, blocking them with his tofna.

"Stop!" Sanji yelled, but the angry man ignored him.

Finally, when it was clear that the Zoro wouldn't listen to reason, Sanji stepped in.

"Alright, you crazy bastard!" Sanji declared, "I said that was fucking ENOUGH!"

"Sanji, no! Get out of the way!" Gin managed to stop mid swing, but watched in horror as Zoro's swords continued.

The blonde man met the two katanas with a hard shoe, deflecting their paths.

"Stop, Zoro." He growled, low and dangerous.

"Get out of my way, shit cook! I have score to settle!" Zoro yelled, ignoring him. "I'll cut you down if you don't get the hell out of my way!"

The chef scoffed, lighting a cigarette. "I'd like to see you try, shitty swordsman."

With that, the blonde went on the offensive. His legs moved with blinding speed as he kicked Zoro. The marimo managed to block his attacks, but was breathing heavily.

"You might be a friend of Luffy's, but you are a guest at MY house, you stupid moss head and so is Gin. I won't allow you to touch him!" Sanji howled, twisting and bending in seemily impossible ways.

He spun on his hands, sweeping his feet into a blurred circle. His next attack missed the plant head, and he caught his heel on a near by tree trunk. The kick splintered the trunk almost halfway through, sending the wood flying towards the on lookers.

By this time a crowd had gathered, watching the 'mock' fight with interest. The two men flew across the green lawn in a colorful blur.

"What lies has that snake whispered in your ear, you stupid cook?!" The swordsman shouted angerly at him as he blocked and redirected a kick.

"Nothing at all, shit head!" Shouted Sanji in return, blocking a rain of katana blows.

"Then why are you protecting him?!"

Sanji could see that the moss head was steadily gaining ground. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop the hisses of pain as the scabs on his back relpened and stung with sweat. If he was going to win it would have to be soon.

He took a deep breath and dropped to one knee. As expected, the sudden hole in his defense confused, but lured Zoro close enough for Sanji to have an opportunity to finish him off.

Sanji shot between the baka's open legs, then shot up and swung an elbow to the back of that annoying green head.

Or at least that's what would've happened if Sanji's head hadn't gone momentarily fuzzy, and his eyes unfocused, slowing him down enough for Zoro to block it.

He suddenly felt very light headed. Damn his injured body! He barely managed to avoid the next swing. Heart racing, and pounding eratically, Sanji found himself actualy enjoying the fight. He hadn't had this much of a work out since highschool.

The fight continued, neither one able to over power the other.

"STOP," a voice that Sanji knew too well, commanded.

Both stopped their assaults. Mihawk stared down at the both of them, his eyes burning into them.

"This is a disgrace. I expected this kind of behavior from Zoro," the said man opened his mouth to protest but was shut up by Mihawk's glare, "But not you,Sanji."

Embarrassment colored the blonds cheeks, but he did not look away from his foster father as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Im sorry," he said, meeting the golden gaze, "but I was fighting this time for a good reason." He motioned to Gin, who was looking confused, sad, and worn out.

"Luffy's friend," he said the word with disdain, " attacked a guest of mine with no provocation. No matter how buddy buddy he is with Shanks's nephew,Mihawk, I'll kick his ass if he screws with one of my friends."

The older man's gaze flicked to Zoro, an eyebrow raised. 'Is that true?' it seemed to ask.

The marimo's hands clenched around the handle of his katana's with white knuckles before placing them in the sheaths at his hip. He narrowed his dark eye at Gin, then at Sanji.

"You'll regret this," was all he said before he walked away, and disappeared into the sea of people.

"Alright, everyone!" Shanks declared with a laugh as he made his way to the center of the crowd, "Thats it for today! Haha!"

The people quickly dispersed, leaving a winded Sanji with the club owners, and Gin.

"Now," Shanks demanded, hand on his hip, and all traces of his previous show of a good mood gone. "WHAT just happened? Sanji, you bbetter have a damn good explination. This is a country club, NOT a fucking fighting ring! How many times do we have to go over that?!"

The blonde glared at the red head.

"Why the fuck is it MY fult?!" He exclaimed. "That shit head's the one who started it!"

Shanks was suddenly in Sanji's space, grabbing hold of the front of his shirt, and yanking the blonde closer. He saw stars as the shirt fabric dug into his wounds.

"I don't care who started it, Sanji. I will not let you go back to where you were in highschool. Fights every day, broken bones? No." He let go of his oldest child and placed the hand on top of the blonde hair. He sighed. "Please, kiddo, just...be careful."

Sanji huffed, offended, and slapped Shanks' s hand away.

"Go tell it to the fucking plant head, Shanks! Come on, Gin!" Sanji said, grabbing the stunned teens hand, and dragged him away.

He was so pissed!

"S-Sanji..." Gin stuttered as they passed through the front doors of the main building.

"What?" The said man snapped, then stopped. "I'm sorry, " he sighed, then replied again. "Yes, Gin, what is it?"

"Your b-back. It's...all bloody..."

The chef then noticed the blood patches on his shirt. "Shit..."

He redirected their route to the downstairs office. Once inside he grabbed the first aid kit off of the tallest shelf. He handed it to Gin and turned.

"Will you help me?" He asked, embarassed, and drew the shirt carefully over his head.

Gin sucked in a breath. "Holy hell. What did you do?"

It's from a few days ago. It's not as bad as it looks..." he laughed halfheartedly. "I...uh... saved a little girl the other day."

"Shit, Sanji. Don't make it sound like you were caught jizzing in public!" Gin laughed in amazement as he started to clean the blood off of Sanji's skin.

The said man shook his head and grimaced at the sting of the antiseptic on the cuts.

"It's not that simple," he sighed, not wanting to get into detail. "Fuck..." he groaned lowly.

"Sorry, sorry," Gin appologized, his fingers brushing lightly over Sanji's skin.

The two men were in silence for a few moments with only the sounds of Sanji's breathing, and the faint hiss of bubbling antiseptic to be heard.

Worrying his bottom lip, Sanji flinched at the sharp stings of pain as the brunette finished up and began to bandage his torso gently.

"So, Gin, I know that it's none of my business, but happened between you and Zoro? What happened to piss him off so much?"

Gin's hands faltered and stilled as he tied the bandage off on Sanji's back, then he let out a defeated sigh.

"Well... Zoro's not a bad guy, but he's always been a pretty..." it took a moment for him to think of an appropriate word, " possessive person. When his father took me in, at first, it was because of a debt he owed my late father."

Sanji turned toward the older teen. Gin was against a filling cabinet, his hands in the pockets of his coat.

"Every thing was fine at first between us. You could even say we were friends... but then his father and sister grew to genuinely care for me. Zoro began to change after that. He became moody, distant, and rebellious. I...I should've seen it, but I was in awe of him," Gin confessed, somewhat embarrassed. Even now, Sanji could see that despite his hostility toward Zoro, Gin still deeply admired him.

"As we grew older, Zoro became more and more absent from our home. He lacked an intrest in his fathers company, unlike me, giving me an opprotunity for Father and I to grow closer. I wasn't until after I was named a successor along with Zoro and our sister, Kuina, that he was openly hostile with me. After that, no matter where I was or what I did to try to please him, Zoro was pissed off at me."

Gin shook his head and dropped it to his chest.

""When I turned 13 I went off to school to get things started with Dad's business, and hoping to maybe lessen the stress between Zoro and I, but things continued to get worse. I tried to be everything that was expected of me. I had wanted to show my father, sister, and Zoro that I was worthy to be apart of their family, and that I wasn't some back water, gutter trash charity case. Che. You can guess how that went with Zoro.

"Two years after that I was rewarded by Father in the best of ways: he named me an heir to the company. Zoro completely lost it, and after that he never spoke to me again."

He shook his head and crossed his arms protectivly over his chest.

"The worst part of all was when Father died. I was half way across the country when he passed away, and found out when Kuina sent me the letter. I rushed back as soon as I could. It was after the funeral, and during the will reading was when I found out that Zoro had somehow convinced our father to cut me out of the will. I didn't get a single penny of my inheritance or part of the company, and was thrown out to the streets. Kuina tried to help me as best she could. She helped me pay for my school and things but I didn't care about any of that. The reason I hate Zoro," Gin's hands clenched tightly imto fists and his green eyes began to water, "is because while Father was on his death bed, Zoro convinced him that I wasn't worthy to be his son! I dedicated everything I had into my dream of a family, into the company my father loved, and into being a worthy son to carry out my old man's dream. But instead I get disowned, and my father 's dream for the company is left in the hands of someone like Zoro!"

The brunette was shaking now, his voice was filled with anger and sadness. Before he knew what he was doing, Sanji was on his feet and placed a hand on Gin's shoulder.

Gin looked up from his shoes, drops of his tears clinging to his long lashes.

"...Gin..."

"...Sanji..."

The two men stared at each other for several long moments. Sundries heart felt strangely tight, and he found looking into the other man's eyes did weird things to his breathing.

Finally the blonde cook removed his hand and habitually fixed the hair over his left eye.

"Come on," he said softly, "Let's get you that car ride home."

The brunette nodded obediantly, and followed him out of the office.

* * *

Zoro watched as Sanji waved goodbye to that fucking prick Gin. GAH! He was so fucking mad could spit nails! He knew tuat the vein in his forehead was popping out, and that his golden skin was a rashy red. By the looks on the club patron's faces when he saw them, he guessed that he looked like a tomatoe with a skin problem.

He knew that he had let Gin win that round by attacking him in front of Sanji. In fact, that dirt bag of a human was one of the reasons that he had to work his ass off for the last two years, but but he was mostly pissed at himself.

Sanji probably thought that Zoro was an animal, and a huge prick. He had no doubts that Gin, that asshole, had already told some shifty sob story, thus painting Zoro the bad guy, and poisoning the cooks mind.

The car that held Gin drove away, leaving Sanji by himself. He imediatly thought of the day before: their bodies pressed against one another, and the adorable look of uncertainty and embarrassment on the cooks face as he was beneath Zoro. Heat built up in the young swordmans stomach just thinking about it.

Zoro sighed Iin regsignation. Sanji probably wouldn't talk to him for a while. If he knew anything about the pissy cook, it was that the blonde bastard could hold a grudge.

He pushed himself off of the pine tree he had been leaning on. Well, he'd be damned if he was going to apologize to the shit cook. The blonde had no fucking business in judging Zoro, or assuming anything in his life. While he was lost in his sulking, a voice called out behind him.

"Oi, Zoro!"

The said man turned around to find Luffy, and that witch Nami, walking toward him.

"Oh, hey, Luffy. What's up?"

"I need to talk to you, shishishi."

The green haired man plopped down on the grass.

"Okay, talk."

Luffy rolled his eyes. "Not here, silly."

Zoro huffed, laying down on his back, and closing his eye.

"It's here or nowhere, captain."

He heard Luffy huff as well in annoyance. "Fine," he said, "I'll see you later, Nami, ok?"

"Yeah. Bye, Luffy," the orange haired woman's voice said, then her footsteps faded away.

Zoro cracked his eye open. "So, what is it?"

His young friend sat down heavily, his legs stretched out in front of him.

"Zoro," he said seriously, but happily, "I really like Nami."

"Che. Yeah, so? That's obvious, Luffy," Zoro said annoyed as he pushed himself back up.

"No, I mean, I really, REALLY like her!" The raven insisted. "I think she is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen!"

Zoro scoffed. "Luffy, you can really liked her all you want, but it doesn't change her feelings at all."

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked confused.

Mentally Zoro facepalmed himself. "I mean, dumbass, that even though you might 'really' like her, she doesn't 'really' like you."

Luffy's face brightened with understanding. "Oh. Well, then I'll just make her really like me! Thanks, Zoro! You're the best!"

Zoro groaned in despair. "No, Luffy, that's not what - " he started to say, but was cut off.

Luffy jumped back up to his feet by that time and was talking.

" I've got some really good idea's now! Zoro, you really know alot about this stuff. Thanks again!" Then he was off.

"Good God!" Zoro moaned, falling back on the grass, "When will that baka understand anything besides fighting in food? He's fucking hopeless..."

* * *

Sanji put his hands into his pajama pockets as he made his way into the kitchen, fingers itching to make something. On the way down there he saw the lights on, and a familiar figure at one of the dining room tables.

"Nami-Swan~!" He said happily, but wondered why she was up so late.

The ginger jolted out of her reverie. "Sanji! I didn't even see you... " She replied sheepishly.

The blood cook noticed that Nani seemed distracted, and a light blush flushed her skin.

"Nami, are you are you alright? Are you sick?" then "...is it about Luffy?"

The young woman seemed surprised by his question, the color on her cheeks deepening.

"N-No why? " She asked defensively.

Sanji raised a curly eyebrow.

"Okay, okay!" She admitted.

Nami sat there wringing her hands in front of Sanji. He never seen Nami this flustered.

"You really like him, don't you?" He asked in realization.

Nami's brown eyes looked at him. "Is it that obvious?" she asked in reply.

The cook shook his head. "Just to the people who know you well, I think." He reassured.

Nami sighed, sinking further in her chair. She covered her face with her hands, then groaned.

"I...I really like him, Sanji," she confessed. "He's funny, handsome -"

"Rich?"

"Yes, that, to. But I was going to say different. He's got an inner light inside of him that just pulls me in like moths to a flame." She mumbled her hands.

Her long hair fell forward, curtaining her face from Sanji's eye. Placing a hand lightly on her shoulder in reassurance, he went to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a steaming cup of Nami's favorite orange tea. He placed the mug in her hands, and sat down beside her.

"Drink this," he said kindly. And her after a few sips he added, "I'm sure that Luffy likes you, too, my flower. What man couldn't fall head over heels for you?!"

Nami smiled then leaned into Sanji, content.

"Thanks Sanji, " She said quietly.

Even though the cook couldn't see his younger sisters face, he could hear her small smile.

* * *

Thanks everyone for reading! Please don't forget to review! :3 Love ya all!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: nothing is mine, songs, characters and names alike.

HildyaOrul: welcome back, my friend! I've missed your reviews and your encouraging words! :) No spoilers, but as usual, your words are making me rethink some stuff... Damn it, I had something good planed out and now another idea is forming! I can't decide! Why you do this to me? -_-

* * *

A One Piece Twist

Chapter 8

Sanji was still totally pissed at Zoro three days later. The bastard had been annoying him to no end, and the blonde could barley tolerate being in his presence, yet he found his eyes gravitating to tbe plant head against his will.

He loved the way the stupid swordsman laughed, and rubbed the back of his neck when he was nervous or at a loss of what to say. Sanji found it endearing when the moss brain cussed at Luffy and Ace when they managed to steal his food, and pouted untill someone took pity and brought him more.

The cook scowled. Was he going crazy? Who in their right mind would find those things about the green baka likeable? They were aggravating, that's what they were!

Sanji banged the pots into the kitchen sink. Then he clutched his head in his soapy hands and sighed.

"Hey, ero cook!" A familiar/annoying voice called out to him.

Sanji rased his head and watched Zoro from the door way.

"What the fuck do you want, asshole?" He asked harshly, the pretense of civily completely gone after the incident with Gin.

Zoro rolled his eye. "Your old man wants you to go to town to get some shit. The guests are complaining per usual- what the fuck is on your face?"

Sanji wiped his his hands dry in a dish towel. Then looked into the shiny surface of a nearby hanging pot.

He could see that the soap from his hands had gotten on his face, giving him a bazaar appearance. He couldn't resist the laugh that bubbled from his chest as a memory of him and Nami surfaced.

He was still chuckling as he wiped away the white foam. "Yeah, whatever, moss head. Go find Brook and tell him to meet at the car."

Zoro looked at him like he was crazy, but curtly nodded, and left the kitchen doorway. The cook was a little confused at Zoro's lack of response to his insults. It was unusual for him to be so passive. Whatever. He didn't have the energy to worry about it.

He went to find Mihawk, and discovered the man in the library of his office.

"Yes?" The dark haired man asked, casually, turning the thin page of a book he was reading in his favorite plush reading chair.

Sanji tapped the toe of his shoe of nervously against the hard floor.

"I need the list of items you'd like me to get," he said quietly.

The senior swordsman raised a brow. "Well come here," he said.

Sanji stumbled into his foster father's personal space. He had never been allowed permission to enter before, and so he was little more then shocked when tbe older man granted him entrance.

"Here," was all he said as he held out a slip of paper out to Sanji. "And don't forget the mail," he added as the blonde took the list from his fingers.

"Yes-yes, sir."

Mihawk nodded and turned his attention back to his book. Sanji took this as a dismissal, and left quickly.

He went to the car and expected to see the tall, afro sporting musician, but instead saw a head of spikey grren hair.

"What the hell, marimo? You couldn't follow simple instructions other than photosynthesis?" Sanji asked the man leaning against the car.

Zoro straightened, and twirled the key ring around the tip of his left index finger.

"Brook's too busy," he said, "He asked me to drive you," then he got into the car.

Sanji furrowed his brows in confusion. There it was again! The moss brain was ignoring the bait Sanji was laying out. He was acting like he was pissed off, but what the fuck did HE have to pissed about? It's not like Sanji did anything wrong to him. It was the algae who had been causing all the problems around here!

He climbed in to the car beside Zoro, and buckled his seat belt. He looked beside him and saw Zoro white knuckling the steering wheel.

"You do know how to drive, don't you?" He asked skeptically.

"Fuck off, curly que," he replied tightly. "Car's are just not my thing of expertise. " then he threw the car into reverse and backed out, weaving between the parked cars of the guests like a professional Nascar driver.

"Holy shit!" Sanji shrieked as the car was thrown into another gear, Zoro jerking the wheel, causing it turn the vehicle forward.

His heart was pounding rapidily, and adrenaline rush made his body shake. He was clutching the arm rest and the door handle on the roof of the car with a tight grip.

"You are fucking insane!" He exclaimed angrily.

In response, the plant head hit the gas pedal.

* * *

"This is just fan-fucking-tastic!" Sanji exclaimed sarcastically, throwing his hands up in disbelief as he read the sign on the door : 'Closed for the day due to much needed repairs. Sorry for the inconvenience.'

Zoro stood beside him, arms crossed, looking at the sign in concentration.

"What?!" The blonde snapped, "Don't blow a fucking gasket, moss brain! There is nothing you can do by staring at it!"

The said plant glared at him darkly, but it seemed half hearted, like his main thoughts were somewhere else.

He huffed and got back into the car, and waited for Zoro to get in. Gosh, he was so damn aggravating!

He eye balled the swoards man as he climbed into the drivers seat and clipped his seat belt in. He thought back to Gin's story for about the one hundreth time. Zoro... a jealous person? An ass, yes. A prick, yes. A person so jealous that he'd kick his brother out in the street to get what he wanted? Sanji had no clue. Zoro was a mystery to him.

The cook got out and smoked a cigarette as the marimo fiddled with the gas pump on the gas machine. He knew Zoro came from money. Gin made that much obvious, but that didn't explain anything, and instead made it more complicated.

"...So..." the blond said awkwardly as Zoro pulled onto the highway to go to the next town after filling the car tank with gas, "what got you into kendo?" Anxiety pulled at his heart, and they hadn't even been in the car five minutes. He needed to distract himself somehow, right?

Zoro seemed a little surprised Sanji had asked such a civil and personal question.

"A person I care for once told me to make something of my self."

Sanji blinked. "But why, though? From what Gin said, your family is loaded, right?"

Zoro laughed bitterly, his eye darkening. " That is exactly the reason why. I want to be known not by who I'm related to, but by my own accomplishments. Good or bad. Gin would know all about that, wouldn't he?

The disdain in Zoro's voice for Gin trailed off as his mind wandered to his own world again. His eyes became distant and his body went on auto pilot. Was his dislike for his brother really that strong?.

"What about your eye?" He asked Sanji a moment later.

"Huh?" He replied wittily.

"Your eye, dart brow. Why is it always covered?"

"Why the hell do you want to know that?"

"Well, since we're playing 20 questions here, I wanna know." Zoro answered.

Sanji sputtered, but thought about his answer. "That's none of your fucking business!"

"Oh," Zoro said, clearly offended. "So you can ask me shit, but I can't ask you? You certainly had no qualms about being like that with Gin!"

" You could've chosen not to answer, shit head! And Gin told me all about himself. I didn't once bring up myself!

"So you're a gossip, huh? Like being a nosey bastard that encrouches in other people buisness!"

"Bastard!" Sanji yelled at the man next to him.

"Shit cook!"

"Moss for brains!"

"Damn dart board!"

They went back and forth with their yelling match, all the while Sanji was slowly forgetting about his vehicle anxiety. This was the Zoro he knew: snarky, hotheaded, and a huge pain in the ass.

"That's it!" He shouted. "Stop the damn car, shitty swoardsman! I'd rather walk the rest of the way!" Come to think of it, shouldn't they have reached the next town by now?

Zoro just huffed, not slowing down.

"You think I'm fucking kidding?" He snarled, grabbing the door handle and pushing it open, "I said Stop. The . Damn. Car."

The moss brain seemed to finally get his message. "Are you insane?!"

Tires screached as Zoro hit the brakes, rubber skidding over asphalt. Sanji stuck up his nose superiously, and got out of the car, then slamming the door in Zoro's face.

"I'd be insane to want to be in your presence a second more!" He yelled at the marimo, then turned to walk down the empty road.

"Sanji, wait!" He heard Zoro call. The sound of a door opening and closing proceded another call. "Wait, come back-"

BOOM!

The ground shook, and his knees buckled as he was pushed forward by a strong blast of heat and hot air. The hard ground scrapped his palms alittle, and he felt his knee caps hit the pavement with a enough force to leave bruises, but his thoughts were proccupied by the sight before him as he turned his head around.

The car that he had been in only moments before lay in a black, smoking, and firey heap of scrape metal before his eyes. Sanji stood up shaking, and realized that he hadn't even seen the marimo.

"Zoro!" He called out, trying to hide the worriedness in his voice. No answer came in reply. "Oh shit!" He exclaimed in a whisper. "Oh shit, shit, shit!"

He stumbled forward, his eye searching frantically for the familiar swatch of green hair.

"Zoro!" He tried again, but a pregnant pause was his only answer

The blonde hurried to the drivers side of the used to be car, and his heart jumped into his throat when his saw a lump of black and smokey clothes on the ground, four yards or so away. Sanji hopped over the gaurd rail and sprinted to the still man.

"Zoro, thank God! Are you..." a sob was held back by a blood streaked hand as the blonds words caught in his throat. The moss headed swoardsman lay completly still, his dark eye looking up lifelessly at the blue sky above them.

Sanji fell to gis knees. Oh, God, this was all his fault! Rationally, of course, that was impossible, but he still felt like had when woken up in the hospital and found out Zeff was dead. Some how, Sanji felt like if he had done something differently, things wouldn't have ended this way.

His pale fingers reached out to take hold of Zoro's lifeless hand. "I'm so-"

Hacking, and not done by himself, interrupted Sanji sincere appology.

"Sweet Jesus," Zoro wheezed harshly, pounding his chest. " I guess that experiance can be scratched off my bucket list!" He winced and looked at Sanji with a soot covered face.

"What's the matter, shit cook? You look like you lost your beat friend." He grinned. "Were you worried about little old me?"

"As fucking if, baka! Why would I be worried about a stupid little ball of moss like you?" He sputtered indignatly, crossing his arms across his chest.

Zoro sat up, tucking one leg underneath him and coughed some more.

"And what an dick move, pretending to be dead like that! You are SUCH an ass!"

Now that relief had replaced his sadness, anger was about to have another go.

"I wasn't 'pretending' any thing, dumbass!" Zoro snarled like an injured animal. "The wind was knocked out of me, and I hit my head pretty hard... I think that I might have a...concussion or...something..." he yawned as his words slowed and his eye drooped. "Taking a nap sounds pretty good, actually."

He gave Sanji a dopey smile and began to close his eyes. Sanji was worried now.

"Oi!" He said loudly at the man on the ground infront of him, "Don't you fucking fall asleep!" He slapped Zoro's face, but nothing happened.

It was then Sanji panicked. He tried to think of how the hell he got to the conclusion he had many times later that night, but some how he had and he could never take the decision back.

The cook grabbed Zoro by his shoulders and smashed the marimo's lips against his own. Zoro stiffened against Sanji, causing the blonde to pull away, satisfied that the dumbass at least reacted to THAT, but then Zoro did somethimg that was unexpected: he wrapped his arms around Sanji and kissed him back.

Sanji felt Zoro's warm tongue run over his bottom lip, and before he realized what he did, he opened his mouth to let him in. The cook let out a small whimper as he was kissed harder by the strong man in front of him. Zoro tasted like smoke and salty sweat, but also something distinctly Zoro. The two men clung to one another, only half aware of their actions, and Sanji derliously wished it would never end.

Their mouths fought for dominance, and the cook felt his fingers entwine in soft hair, hair he knew belonged to a certain marimo. He felt Zoro growl deeply, possessively, and pulled at Sanji's bottom lip with his teeth. Heat was building up in the said cook's stomach untill it was a raging fire. Then he realised that it was ZORO who was causing the feelings in side of him.

He roughly shoved Zoro away, and leapt to his feet while wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. What. The . Fuck.

The marimo looked up at him, the shock clear on his face, too. His mouth opened and closed like a fish several times before he uttered a single syllable.

"S-s-sorry!" Zoro appologized to him, then got to his feet so quickly it made him sway a little.

Before Sanji got the guts to go over there and help him, Zoro had already rightened himself.

"We need to find some one to help us. You know where we are, curly que?"

Sanji ahook his head. "Not a fucking clue."

"Oh great! That's just fricking fantastic," he mumbled, then turned away from Sanji and serveying the road in front of him.

Sanji was relieved, confused, and dissapoimted all at the same time. First of all, he was thankful Zoro had tried to clear the awkwardness, but at the same time he was confused and dissapointed that Zoro had dismissed the kiss like it was nothing. Had Sanji been the only one to feel the way he had?

* * *

Zoro was going crazy inside! Sanji Prince had just kissed him, and Zoro had kissed him back! God, he was on Cloud 9! His emotions shot through him like he was a teenager again, instead of being 23. He quickly reigned those feelings in though, not wanting to freak Sanji out. Then he saw the look of pure horror on his face. That stabbed Zoro through the heart and destroyed his pride. Was he really that revolting to the cook?

He scowled and turned away, totally confused where to go from here.

"Well, at least we have service," Sanji said with a hopeful voice, holding up his cell. Then a moment later, "Shit, my battery died..."

Zoro almost broke down and kissed the cook again because his face was just so damn cute! Zoro noticed that the blonde stroked his goatee lightly when he was in deep concentration. He shivered as he recalled that soft goatee against his face.

"Oi, are you okay?" The blonde man asked.

"Just peachy," was his reply. "There is only one way to go from here," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, really?" Sanji asked sarcastically, " And which way is that, pry tell?"

"Forward, duh!"

"Gosh, you are such a smart ass, marimo," the blonde said tiredly. "Which way would you suggest, oh wise one?"

Sneering, Zoro pointed in the direction he thought was best.

"Then we are going the other way," the blonde declared, walking down the road.

As the blonde marched despite loud protests from Zoro, the young swordsman decided to put his feelings away untill he could take them out later and examine then when he was alone. Things were just too weird right now. He reached for the hip that usually held his swords, and found it empty once again. He sighed as he walked after Sanji, studying the bright blue sky. It was days like these that he had loved as a child. That SHE had loved... Zoro clentched his hands into fists at his sides. Today was just one confusing minute after another.

* * *

I hope you all liked this chapter! PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW! And thanks you to all of you guys that are reading too! I love you all! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I claim to own nothing!

HildyaOrul: there is no need to appologize, my friend! :) The car exploded for... nefarious reasons... :) Bwhahaha. Don't worry, it shall all be explained in time, grasshopper. *sagely nods in assurance* Mihawk is still awaiting his mail. Hahaha.

nero922: dont you just love it when something unexpected happens! :p As a reader, you have given me a very high compliment! Thank you! XD I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

A One Piece Twist

Chapter Nine

Sanji was smoking his last cigarette of the brand new package of smokes he had bought at the gas station earlier that day, when his mind was made up to speak to Zoro.

"Sorry," he mumbled at last to the plant head.

"For what?" The baka asked, his head snapping toward Sanji.

He sighed, "For earlier... that was certainly...odd, but it was the only way I could think of to keep you awake..." his words were soft and embarrassed.

Zoro continued to look at him, his skin turning a few shades darker. Or it might have just been the fading light, who could know for sure?

"Erm... It's-"

"I mean it was a medical emergency, right? It's not like I like you like that, or anything. Who knows if your head is alright? Who knows if MY head is alright? I could've smacked my head pretty hard, too. Haha..."

He could feel himself rambling and bumbling out his carefully practiced speech. God dammit!

"I mean, us two? Together? Like that? Gross! Haha, yeah... Well, whatever, right? I just wanted to say-"

"Just shut the fuck up! Shit, I was going to say 'no big deal', wonder brow! It was just a fucking kiss, not a marriage proposal!" Zoro yelled at the blond, clearly irritated.

The blond nearly swollowed his cancer stick. He punched his chest, and scowled when he recovered.

"Well, fucking excuse me for being polite, shit head!" He yelled back, throwing the butt of his burnt out stick at the marimo.

He felt his face turning red with chagrin, and he refused to look in Zoro's direction. He kicked up dirt with his white keds as they walked again in awkward silence.

"So, why do you think the car blew up?" Zoro asked him, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.

Sanji gave him a side glare, "What the hell do you mean? It was obvious it was a...a, uh...um... Well, you know! A faulty part or something! Or did you put the wrong gas in it?"

The marimo sneered at him. "And what would you know about cars? You're too much of a chicken shit to ride in one!"

"You fucking ass!" Sanji yelled accusingly.

Zoro grunted, "At least I'm not a -"

"Don't you fucking DARE!" The blond interrupted, pointing a slender finger at the plant head.

"-Pussy!" The asshat finished anyways, like a petulant child, with a satisfied smirk.

"BASTARD!" Sanji screeched, aiming a kick at the damn moss head's shin.

He stopped short, though, as his vision tilted, and his head started to hurt really bad. Clutching his head with both his hands as he fought over the pain in his brain, Sanji felt like he was going to be sick. An uncomfortable feeling had settled into his stomach, and he was sure he was going to toss the cookies any second.

"Shit," he groaned, leaning against a section of guard rail.

"..anji? Oi, cook, you okay?"

Zoro's voice brought him slamming back into reality, and all the food he had for breakfast onto Zoro's shoes.

"Fuck!" The grass head yelped, springing back.

Sanji moaned as one hand clutched his stomach, and the other, his head. Images flashed through his aching head like a freaking slideshow he couldn't stop.

Broken images of Zeff, a warehouse of some kind, a scary face, and the horrible memory feeling of intense pain in his legs, haunted him violently.

He felt Zoro shaking him gently, saying something that caused his deep voice to grate on Sanji's ears, but whatever he was saying was causing the cook to calm down. Finally, after several minutes, Sanji was himself again. He was shakey, and embarrassed as all outdoors, but he was himself again.

He let out a shakey breath, and straightened as best he could. Biting his lower lip, the blond stood up, and hated the way his long legs threatened to buckle. He lifted his blue eye to meet Zoro's green one.

He froze when Zoro grabbed his face and held it in his hand. The marimo looked deep into Sanji's eye.

"It's hard to tell, but I think you are dehydrated. We've been walking in this heat for hours, so I say we find a spot to rest, then continue in the early evening." He let go of Sanji's chin, and shoved the appendage back into his pocket.

Sanji just nodded dumbly, and followed Zoro to the shade of a nearby tree. He collasped gratefully under it's cool canopy, and yawned.

"Shit, what a day..." he yawned, and rubbed his nose. When he drew his hand away, he saw blood. Damn it.

He looked to Zoro, and saw that the dumb bastard was already fast alseep, snoring the leaves of the green tree into his mouth. What a idiot! Fine, let the moron go into a coma!

He bent forward and got up again. He'd have to find a small stream or something to wash his face, and maybe some moss to plug his nose before he bled to death. He almost laughed at the absurdity of it. He could see the paper now, its headline reading : "Young Man Dies Not From Being Out in The Wilderness, Lost, or From Exploding Car, but From Nose Bleed".

He was dying of embarrassment right now just thinking about it.

He walked silently through the woods, pinching the bridge of his nose all the while. As he walked, he thought back to Zoro's earlier question. Why HAD the car blown up? He didn't know alot about cars and their inner workings, but he was pretty sure that a faulty part wouldn't cause the vehicle to explode. Well, not a minor one anyway, and Sanji was pretty sure either him or Zoro would've noticed if it was more then a minor failing part.

The cook's train of thought was cut off when he spotted a good sized stream to wash his face off in. He bent down and cupped up a handful of water, then rinsed his bloody face with it.

Then he sat down on his ass, and tilted his head back, almost gagging at the slimey feeling of his nose blood as it slid down the back of his throat.

He coughed and spit a glob of the dark blood out onto the grass. Damn it, everything had to happen today, didn't it? Exploding cars, killer head aches, nose bleeds, and that fucking kiss...

Sanji let out a congested sigh, and looked up through the forest ceiling, into the azure sky. He remembered when he was a little boy in France, travelling on the cruise ship 'Enies Lobby'. His mother was there with him, her long hair like Sanji's, and her cobalt eyes staring down lovingly at him...

But one of those eyes was swollen shut, and bruised. And one of her legs had a limp... A memory of a face that was covered by a brown studded leather mask that extended over the bridge of a red nose, scars on a moderately high forehead just above lavander eyebrows, a right cheek, and strong chin came so clearly to the front of his mind, it jolted him awake from his half asleep state.

He could still see the sneering smile in his minds eye as he scrambled to his feet. Dusting the dirt from the legs of his light blue jeans, the blond realized that his nose had stopped bleeding. He knelt back down to the clear water, and rinsed his mouth out spitting the pink water onto the grass. What the fuck was up with him today? Even the things from his dreams were working their way into Sanji's consciousness!

Sanji walked back over to the marimo to find that he was still sleeping. He strode over to the moss head, and unceremoniously kicked him in the gut.

"Humph!" He grunted, startled awake, and clutched his stomach.

"Get up, moss brain. Time to get moving. It's gotten cooler."

Zoro rolled to his feet with ease, and it was not lost on Sanji that he grabbed for the case on his back, then casually tried to play it off when he remembered it wasn't there.

"What's in the case thats so important? " he asked, then mentally slapped himself. 'Okay, no more questions,' he chanted in head.

"My two katana's," the jerk replied.

"What's so special about those two swords, eh?" He found himself asking. Damn it, he had been resolved not to ask anything else about Zoro. He knew how well that had ended last time.

Zoro scowled at Sanji, rubbing the purple v-neck that was filthy with soot, and now a muddy shoe print.

"Piss off, cook. They're not 'swords'. They are fucking Japanese katanas. It's just like me saying all your cooking knives are the same." He spat, then a dark shadow of emotion flickered across his face before it disappeared. "And it's none of your fucking business. "

Sanji opened his mouth to retaliate, but then closed it again. He started to walk again, and was so not relieved to hear the swordsman behind him.

"What the fuck's the matter now, shit cook?" The moss brain asked him, annoyed as always.

Sanji shook his blond head. "Nothing, nothing at all," he replied.

He heard Zoro huff, he could see in his mind's eye the marimo crossing his arms.

"Fine, damn cook! The katanas are a symbol of a promise I have to keep, and a debt I need to fill! There, you fucking happy? Jeez!"

"Nope, now I'm even more curious. " the younger man replied honestly.

The marimo sighed with exasperation. "Holy fuck! I need to fullfill a promise I made to my sister when we were kids, okay?! When I was a kid, my sister, Kuina, and I made a promise to be the best swordsmen in the world. That's how my father made the reputation of his dojo, so we wanted to do the same.

"But into my second year of college, my father died, leaving a huge amount of debt because... because..." It was here Zoro's rant halted.

"Because?" Sanji questioned, caught up in the plant head's story despite himself.

"Because, " he spat, " of...things! Anyway, I had work it off with the help of the katanas. When my sister died, she left me her most prized possession: her katana Wado Ichimonji. I had to sell her to pay off the debt, and even now, after a year and a half, I'm still working my ass off training for the next competition, so I can buy her back."The rest came out in a rush, and Zoro was scrubbing the crap out of the back of neck.

Sanji nodded, not sure of what to say. It was obvious that it had been difficult to say, but it made Sanji wonder whether it was true or not. Gin had mentioned nothing of debt and the hard ship Zoro spoke of, but maybe it had been kept from him because he had been a child...

Well, whatever the case, Gin had gotten the short end of the stick. Zoro had no right to do what he did to Gin, regardless of the circumstances.

Sanji was about to say as much when he heard the distant rumble and a roar from car.

"Sweet Jesus!" He exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitment.

Zoro looked at him like he had grown a second head, or something, until he looked in the direction Sanji was pointing.

An electric blue sports car raced over the farthest hill, speeding quickly towards the two men.

"Oi! Hey! Over here; we need help!" The cook shouted, jumping into the middle of the road. Zoro joined him, waving his arms like a duck, and yelling at the top of his lungs.

The sports car slowed down, revealing the owner inside to have hair maching the exterior of the car.

"Yeoow~! What's the problem, bro's?" The man asked, pushing up the sunglasses over his eyes onto his forehead.

"Thank God you came along!" Sanji cheered. "We've been walking for hours because our car had a, uh, slight malfunction..."

"Slight?" Zoro scoffed, crossing his muscled arms, "It fucking exploded. I'd say that is more then 'slight'."

Sanji glared at Zoro before turning back to their could be savior. "Will you please help us by taking us to the nearest town?" He requested. "We'll pay you if-"

"Woah, there, little bro, no can do!" The burly blue haired man interrupted.

"What?' Sanji asked in stunned disbelief.

"The nearest town is suuuper dar away, so I can do the next best thing: if you two dudes don't mind, I'll bring ya to my house. It's only fifteen minutes away. Does that sound okay?" He asked cheerfully.

Sanji nodded, grinning like a fool.

"Then hop on in, bros!"

Sanji and Zoro gratefully climbed into the car.

'So," the blue haired man asked, "Who are you two, and why the hell are you all the way out here?"

Sanji sighed as he leaned back into the seat, but still a little anxious.

"I'm Sanji, and this is Marimo-"

"ZORO!" The moss head corrected angrily.

"Che, close enough. Anyway, we are from East Blue Falls. We were driving to the next town for groceries and supplies, because our store was closed for the day, when our car literally exploded! We've been walking forever." Sanji explained tiredly. "I think that the marimo here needs to see a doctor. We think he may have a concussion."

The man in the front seat nodded. "Thats one hellva tale, bro! I'll gladly let'cha stay the night at my place! As for the doctor, I know a guy who owes me a favor."

Sanji was quiet, stunned by the man's generosity. "You're doing all this for us, and we don't even know your name," Sanji stuttered.

"Oh! Haha, the names Cutty Flam, but all my friends call me Franky." Franky said with a smile as he rounded the corner and pulled up to a small cottage. It was beautiful, surrounded by herbs gardens and flowers of every variety.

"Is this your house?" Zoro asked, doubt clearly pronounced in his voice.

Franky laughed loudly. "Oh, God, no!" He replied to Zoro, then turned back to the house. "Oi, Trafalgar! Get on out here! I got a patient for ya!" He shouted, stepping out of car. Sanji held back a whistle of appreciation.

Franky was a powerfully built man, and least seven feet tall. His forearms were larger then normal, while his biceps were comparably smaller, Sanji could tell he did not want to get into a fight wih Franky unless he had back up.

As the man placed his hands behind his head, the cook could see blue star tattoos on his forearms. He wore an open, loud Hawaiian "Aloha" shirt that rode up with the raising of his arms, with a large golden chain necklace around his neck. His long legs were clad in cutt off jeans that ended just below his knees, and he wore straw sandals on his huge feet.

A few moments later a lanky man exited the house. Franky waved the man over, calling, "Hey, Law! What's happening, brother?"

The man glared at Franky. "I am fine, Franky. Now, who is this 'patient'?" The named Law asked.

The tall man jerked his thumb toward Sanji and Zoro. "The green one is the one that probably needs more med attention, but you might wanna take look at both of them to be safe."

Trafalgar sighed, and looked at the two of them. "Alright, you two, follow me."

Sanji carefully got out of the car and followed the dark haired man, who had disappeared back into the cottage. He couldn't help but think that this could be the beginning of a murder movie, but like any protagonist of a murder film, he imediatly had the 'Don't be so paranoid. Of course that isn't going to happen,' motivational speech in his head.

The cook and the marimo walked into a warm cottage, and into the back where there was a small clinic.

The doctor motioned for them to sit down. He examined Sanji first, and concluded, "These cuts and bruises are not deep, but keep an eye on them so they do not get infected, okay?"

He wrapped up Sanji's hands, and then moved onto Zoro. He took alot longer with Zoro.

"Well," he said, washing his hands, "You, sir, have a moderate, grade 2 concussion. That is serious, but not life threatening. Now, tell me, what happened?"

The two looked at eachother, then Zoro explained the situation.

"Hmm, I see. You are lucky that it wasn't more serious. I'm surprised that your brain isn't more swollen, Mr. Roronoa."

"Che," the baka jeered, "I've been through worse."

Sanji just shook his head. "Oi, doc, do you have any cigarettes?" He REALLY needed a smoke!

The raven haired doctor glared at the blond. "This is a house of medicine, and healing," He said in a condemning tone.

Sanji blushed and mumbled, "Nevermind..."

"Oi, is it cool to sleep?" Zoro asked seriously.

Trafalgar sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose with a tatooed fingeres. "Yes, it should be fine, but wake up every hour on the hour just to be on the safe side. If you had taken a nap any sooner, you might not of woke up. I glad you resisted the urge to sleep," the doctor continued, but Sanji's mind was in the gutter , thinking about about Zoro's mouth and the embarrassing scene from earlier that he was glad that noone saw, so he did not hear the rest of Law's words.

When the tatooed man dismissed them, Sanji was still pink in the face. They walked back out to Franky, who was waiting in his car.

"Hey, bros! So what's the diagnosis? "

"We're fine, thanks," the moss head said curtly. "Does your place have booze?"

"Nope, but I got plenty of Cola!" Franky laughed as they climbed back into the blue car, and waved to the shadowed figure of Trafalgar Law.

"Friendly guy," Sanji commented as they drove away, and pointedly ignoring the swordsman's pouting.

"Yeah," the blue haired driver chuckled, "He keeps to himself when he can. If ya don't dont mind me asking, what do you guys do for a living?"

"I'm a chef at a country club, and Zoro is a professional drunkard- Ouch!" Sanji yelped, clutching his arm. "He fights in kendo," he corrected. That green haired bastard!

Franky nodded, his pompador hair bobbing in the wind. "That's suuper cool, curly bro!"

The car ride was silent the rest of the way, which directed all of Sanji's attention to not pay attention to his vehicle anxiety. Soon he was clutching the arm rest with a tight hand, while the other was holding down the hair of his left eye.

'Breath in, breath out; breath in, breath out' was his mantra for the next ten minutes untill they pulled up to a single wide trailer that was parked in front of an impressive half finished house.

Sanji nearly cried out in joy as he bolted from the car, while Zoro, who had fallen asleep, grumbled as he stretched out his limbs.

"Welcome to my humble abode, bros~!" Franky bowed as he opened the door.

The two newcomers were impressed to say the least. Franky had tripped out the trailer with some pretty impressive stuff. A huge 72" flat screen took up a wall, and Sanji could see the quality leather furniture that occupied the living room. Beautiful mahogany and oak bar stools took space at the breakfast bar, and a huge aquarium was a table.

"You guys can chill in here for now until I clean the crap off of the office floor, kay? There's plenty of food and cola in the fridge. Have whatever you like." Franky said, throwing a bag on the counter, along with his car keys. "Be back in a few."

It took a few moments for the cook to process Franky's words, but when he did, he jumped straight into action.

'I'm going to make the best meal ever!' He thought with determination as he pulled out all the ingredients he needed for his meal.

Soon a mouth watering aroma filled the trailer, and sanii had just finished setting up the breakfast bar when Franky came stumbling out of the 'office' under a large stack of what appeared to be sketches of houses.

"Yeeow~! It smells suuper, curly bro!" Franky complimented as he walked into another room, then returned empty handed.

Sanji smiled. "It's the least I can do," Sanji said humbly.

Franky sat down, and they were soon joined by Zoro. Both men dug in with vigor.

"Mary, mother of God!" Franky exclaimed happily with a full mouth, "This is the best fucking food I've ever eaten. If you were a girl, bro, I'd propose to ya right here and now!"

Sanji was blushing now. He turned away to the sink, and started on the dishes. He was soon joined by a second pair of hands, and was startled when he looked up to see it was Zoro.

The two cleaned the kitchen in a comfortable silence, Sanji washing, and Zoro drying. Since there were only the three of them, the dishes didn't take long, and they soon were finished.

Franky smacked his lips with a contented sigh.

"Well, I'm heading out to work, bros. Have a good sleep!" He said grabbing a can of cola, and heading for the door.

Sanji was startled. 'Work? At this hour?" It was almost 6 o'clock.

"I'm a contractor by day, and a mechanic by night. Gotta pay the bills some how, but don't worry. I'll be back around 11." He assured, then left with a laugh.

Zoro and Sanji collapsed on the couch with a relieved sigh. Soon they were sunk into beautiful squishyness of the furniture, completely at home. Thank goodness the nightmare was over.

Sanji was half asleep when he heard himself say, "I cover my eye because I'm blind on it."

He felt Zoro stiffen at his words, then relaxed again. "Really? That's all?"

'Yeah, 'that's all', asshole!" Sanji tried to exlaim, but was too tired.

"Well, you made such a big deal, I thought it'd be mutated, or mutilated, or something," The marimo responded with equal tiredness.

"Fuck off," he yawned loudly, closing his eye.

"How'd it happen? Your other curly eyebrow poke it out?" Zoro teased with a yawn of his own.

"Nah," Sanji said, not responding to the jab about his facial hair, "When I was in the car accident that killed my foster father, the glass of the windshield shattered and pierced my eye. It had to be completely removed and replaced with a glass one."

"Why cover it if it looks normal then?"

"Cause the scar is scarey looking, and when I got back from the hospital, I saw how the other kids looked at it, and me," he said, remembering the terrified looks and disgust on the faces of his so called 'friends'.

Zoro was quiet for so long, Sanji thought he fell asleep. But just when Sanji was about to slip over into the realm of unconsciousness, the plant head spoke again.

"Can I see it?"

That question woke Sanji up. "Uh, no!"

"Why not? I let you see my chest and ankle scars. It's only fair," whined Zoro.

Sanii opened his eye to look at the marimo. His gaze locked with Zoro's questioning one.

"Fine," he huffed, and pulled back the curtain of hair. He already knew what the scars looked like: like a cat had made the left side of his face for a scratching post. Angry, jagged lines jutted, raised over pale skin, and the emotionless glass eye that stared out at his friends and family, rested listlessly under the eye lid.

It looked hideous, it looked scarey, yet Zoro looked at it with no revulsion, no judgement of any kind, in his gaze.

Sanji watched as the green haired man reached out and traced the scars with the tips of his fingers.

"I think that they give you character, cook, "he said after several long, and agonizing minutes. "They make ya look tough, and bad ass. These are battle scars, ero cook, and you should wear them with pride. Don't be ashamed," then he withdrew his hand and leaned back against the couch.

Sanji just stared at him, blinking. How could someone ever think that these scars were anything but ugly? Well, Zoro was no model himself. He sighed, with a slight smile, and closed his eyes.

When he was on the verge of sleep once again, a thought came to him.

"Ah, shit," he moaned.

"What?" The marimo asked sleepily.

"It's nothing. Just a stupid thought," he answered.

"No, really, what is it?" Zoro pressed.

"Mihawk's gonna be pissed at me."

"Why?"

"I forgot to get the mail outta the car before it exploded..."

"..." then " You're screwed, cook,"

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I hope ya all enjoyed this chapter. Hehe. Please rremember to review guys! ! Your words are what I live on. Without them I starve!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Kpuffs: thank you my friend for your review! ;) I am glad you're amused! I hope you like this chapter! ^-^

littlecutieprincess: as you wish, my friend, here isanother update! Sorry for the wait, but I hope you like it! ;D

a1wonder50: Sanji is definitely not mail man material. Xp heehee. About golfing... I dont know much about golf, but that is an interesting question. I know that country clubs offer a variety of things including golf so ill think about. A golfing scene would actually be pretty funny. XD

Christianne04: your review was beautiful! *sniffle* I was very moved by what you wrote, so thank you very much! I makes me so happy to get a review like yours! I am so happy that you enjoy the story! :D

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A One Piece Twist

Chapter Ten

Sanji slept wonderfully that night. Whether it was from the day befores crazy adventure that tired him out, or it was because of the fact that he had had some pretty shitty nights recently, he couldn't say, but he had slept deeply that night, and woke up refreshed.

He shifted his head against the warm pillow under him, and buried his face into it, feeling the heat seep into his cold nose. But this pillow was extremely hard... He tried to fluff it up in his content, and sleepy state, but it was rock hard...and IT MOVED!

The blonde's eye shot open and he saw that his 'pillow' was actually the marimo's leg. He gasped a strangled "Geaah!", and sat up quickly into a sitting position, FAR away from the plant head and his damned leg.

Zoro snuffled in his sleep, and his mossy head lulled to the side Sanji was on, giving the blond a good look at his face.

Sanji cringed. Zoro looked awful. Angry burn marks covered his tan skin, and bruises that had formed overnight littered his body, their color a nasty slue of purples, greens, yellows, and browns.

Bags hung under his closed eyes, and as he blinked his good eye sleepily open, Sanji could see the largely dilated pupil.

The cooks face must've been flushed, and his expression one of embarrassed horror, because the bruised and battered swordsman gave him a half smirk.

"You having curly dreams again, curly cook?" He asked with a yawn.

"N-no!" He stuttered out, not really strengthening his case. He fixed his blond hair over his eye, and sat at the edge of the couch cushions.

"Oi, you know what time it is?" The marimo asked, sitting up and winching slightly.

The cook shook his head. "Nope," was his intelligent reply.

"GOOOOOD MORININ', BROS!" an eccentric voice shouted from the now open door.

Sanji smiled, tiredly, turning toward the voice. "Good morning to you too, Franky." He greeted.

The blue haired mechanic grinned, and walked over to the fridge, slinging a dirty towel around his neck and whistling as he went.

Sanji watched the tall man a brief moment before asking, "Hey, Franky? What time is it?"

Franky took a cola from the fridge, and popped the top before taking a huge gulp.

"Eh, around 10 o'clock, I'd say. If you dudes want me to wash your clothes while you go take a shower or something, its tootally cool. Mi casa es su casa," the burly man grinned.

Sanji found himself nodding eagerly. Oh, hell yes, he'd take a shower! The blond cook all but ran into the bathroom, shedding his clothes in his haste to get under the hot, and steamy water of a good shower.

Sanji enjoyed every second of his shower. The water felt so good on his back, and legs, he found himself sighing in pleasure many times. When he got out, he found a stack of oversized, but clean clothes, on the shelf by the sink.

Sanji was padding out of the bathroom, drying his hair, when he heard the voices of Franky and Zoro.

"So, Curly- bro your boyfriend?"

Sanji heart left in his chest, and he heard Zoro sputter in surprise. The blonde knew it was a dick move to eavesdrop on someone's personal conversations, but he couldn't help himself, wanting to hear Zoro's reply.

"No! I just met the bastard less than a week ago!" There was a pause, then, "Why did you ask that, anyway?!"

Franky let out a knowing laugh. Sanji was sweating now. Shit, shit, shit! Franky had probably seen him cuddling Zoro's leg!

The cook figured that this was an excellent time to step in.

He stepped around the corner, and scowled, giving nothing away. "Your turn, Moss brain."

He watched as Zoro stood, a slight blush on his cheeks, and stretched is bruised body before walking past Sanji to step into the bathroom. A moment later Zoro's dirty, soot stenched clothes were thrown into Sanji's hands.

"What am I? Your fucking maid?!" He screeched loudly, trying to imprint on Franky that Zoro and him were most definitely NOT a couple.

He sighed in irritation when he heard a muffled grunt, and then turned back to his host. He gave Franky an apologetic smile as he handed over the two bundles of clothes.

"Thanks so much, again, Franky," the blonde reiterated, and began to bite his lower lip, a bad habit he developed when he didn't have a cigarette to smoke.

The bluenette smiled. "Hey, no problem, Curly- bro! Always happy to help someone in need!" He then took the clothes and went off to put them into the washer.

Sanji self-consciously adjusted the sweat pants that were several inches too long in 3 sizes too big, tightening the draw strings as much as he could. Next he carefully rewrapped his hands, taking fresh bandages from the first aid kit Franky instucted was in the cabinet next to him.

When he done, and he turned back around, he yelped in surprise to find Zoro standing there with just a towel around his waist, his tan skin dripping with water.

"Oi!" Sanji exclaimed, "Put some damn clothes on, plant head!" He was blushing like mad, and it struck him that he was always telling the marimo to put his clothes on.

Zoro scowled at him, and walked over to the couch and sat down on the plush leather.

"Unfortunately for you, cook, I have no clothes to put on," he jeered, baiting Sanji.

"Then ask Franky, you twit! I'm sure he doesn't want to see a half naked moss ball in his home or on his couch!" Argued Sanji, although the tightening in his pants wanted to argue back other wise

Zoro rolled his eye at the blond's theatrics, and angered Sanji even more. He was glaring hard at the marimo when Franky came back in, looking a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, green - bro. Looks like you'll have to wait for your clothes as is. I get so caught up in my work sometimes, that I don't come home for days. My laundry is... Well, basically, non existent. Curly- bro's got the last of my clothes." He said sheepishly, running his big hands nervously through his high blue hair.

Sanji looked down at himself, and at the clothes that hung loosely on his frame.

"None at all?!" Zorro asked in disbelief, echoing Sanji's feelings.

Franky wiped his face with the towel around his neck again, and sighed. "Yep. Sorry, bro. But don't worry!" He assured. "Your clothes will be done in no time at all. I've done a super good job at suping up the machines!"

Sanji watched Zoro put his bruised face in his hands.

"Do you at least have any underwear?' He asked through his fingers.

Sanji wanted to tell Zoro that you couldn't just ask for someone's underwear, but he knew that his words would be ignored, so he bit his tongue.

Franky shook his head in apology. "Nope, sorry."

Zoro sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Che. Whatever, so no problem Franky."

Franky nodded, his face still guilty, "Well, I gotta get back to work, bros, so I'll come back later when the clothes are done to give you guys a lift home."

Sanji and Zoro nodded, and then Franky left, cola, tattoos, and all.

The cook watched as Zoro shift uncomfortably on the couch, hissing quietly in pain at the use of every muscle. Sanji rolled his eye, and shoved an unsuspecting moss head on his stomach.

He yelped in surprise, and growled at Sanji, "What the fuck, shit cook?!"

"Shut your yap!" Complained Sanji, and straddled the swordsman's hips.

He felt Zoro start to wigg out underneath him, but the blond gave him a good smack on the head to make him still. While dazed, Sanji began his administrations.

He used his thumbs to move up Zoro's spine, rubbing out to his ribs and back again. The blond heard Zoro moan in contentment, and his body turned to putty under Sanji's touch. The cook continued to massage the marimo's tan back, working at the tired and tight muscles with skilled hands. After he was done with the back, he moved to the shoulders where he noticed the older man held most of his tension.

The green eyed man groaned low and deep with pleasure as Sanji's hands stroked, and kneeded his hard muscles. In truth, it took everything in Sanji not to grow hard at the other man's moans and groans. He found himself rocking on top of the swordsman, and was trying to convince himself it was to help with the massage's rhythm, and had nothing to do with wanting to see how far he could push the marimo before he cracked.

He was now working his long fingers up Zoro's neck now, and was threading them through his hair, gently messaging his scalp. Zoro gasped under neath him, and Sanji could feel him trembling as the blond slid his hands down the man's wet back and started to massage right above the older man's ass. Sanji wish he could say he stopped at this point, but the lower he went, the more grunts and groans Zoro made. The noises were addictive, but Sanji found the

self control that had been deep in his soul and pulled it to the surface, stopping his hands before he started to practically grope Zoro's ass.

Reluctantly he stood, glad that Franky's baggy pants hid his half hard state from Zoro. The said man still lay face down on the couch for another moment before composing himself and sitting up.

Sanji noted the man's glazed eye, dark and captivating.

He gave the marimo a satisfied smirk. "Feel good, seaweed brain?"

Zoro nodded lazily, leaning back against the couch. "You've got a magic touch, shit cook. Maybe your calling is being a masseuse. " he waggled his eyebrows at that, and grinned when Sanji blushed.

Sanji grumbled some profanties about what he thought Zoro's calling was, and the stomped his way in to the kitchen as red as a fire truck. He attacked the food he decided to cook with vigor, making sure that even after they had gone, Franky had some lunch boxes to take with him on the road. He worked quickly and carefully, mindful of his bandaged hands. And by the time he was done, Franky was back, and had in hand Sanji and Zoro's clothes.

The cook smiled, and washed his hands gently before taking his clothes from Franky and heading to the bathroom. He was soon back in his clothes, and Zoro was soon changed too. As much as they both appreciated the blue haired man's hospitallity, the two were eager to hit the road and get home as soon as possible. They walked out to Franky's car, and Sanji saw that the man had put up the roof of the car, its white cover looking nice in contrast to the electric blue.

Franky laughed as Sanji said so out loud as the trio climbed into Franky's car. Sanji was still feeling nervous, though. Franky noticed this and called him out on it.

"I'm just... uncomfortable around vehicles in general," he explained, and what he did as a result of not taking his breaks every fifteen minutes. Franky took it all in stride, and assured the blond he would accept it.

Sanji was relieved, at least for a little while, and was okay until they reached the ten minute mark. It was then his heart started to throbb, and he felt the slick sweat on his palms. Only a few more minutes passed until he was begging Franky to pull over.

He felt so pathetic, looking so weak infront of the two strong men. The cook was bent over, trying to still his shaking limbs and racing pulse, but was fully aware that the two men were looking at each other with concern.

"It's okay, guys." He assured them as he got back into the car. "It's a thing that developed when I was younger. I've tried to break it, trust me." He laughed shakily. "Whew. Okay I'm good. Sorry." He appologized, hanging his head before Franky resumed driving.

Franky just grunted, but Zoro was still looking at him strangely.

"What?" He snapped, heat rising his face, and his defensive walls went up.

Zoro continued to look at him, then asked, "What was your dad like?"

Sanji's mouth dropped open in shock.

"What?" Zoro was now asking defensively. "It's a perfectly normal question!"

Sanji just shook his head. He had been sure that the marimo had been about to tease or laugh at him for his car phobia. The guy was down right, and damn confusing.

"Uh.. well, Zeff was a shitty old bastard." Sanji said fondly. "A real pain in the ass, too." He toke out the wallet from his pant pocket, and pulled out a faded and worn photo graph. He held it out to Zoro, making sure the man had a grip on it lest it flew out the open window of the vehicle. That would totally be just his luck.

Zoro took the picture carefully, and examined it. His face cracked into grin. He looked back at Sanji, and handed the paper back to him.

"He looks like he gave you hell," the moss head said.

Sanji nodded, looking at the photo before slipping it back in his wallet.

"Yeah. The old geezer taught me everything that he knew about cooking and fighting, actually. The shitty old man gave his life to his dreams, and gave it up for me." He added a little bitterly.

Zoro was silent for a moment. "I like his 'stache. Must've taken a helluva lota mustache wax to keep it nice, though."

A bark of laughter escaped Sanji. "Yeah," he admitted, smiling. "Yeah, it did. I remember that once, as a punishment, the old fart made me brush, braid, and wax his damn mustache. It took at least two fucking hours, swear to God."

It was amazing how easily talking about Zeff came to Sanji when he was talking about him to Zoro. He seemed genuinely curious about the old man, and even Franky chimed in a question or two, and he had both men laughing at some of the stories he told them about himself as a child with Zeff as his father.

He was so distracted, he hadn't even realized how much timed had passed with him talking until Franky stopped for gas at a tiny, privately owned gas station. He was startled to under stand that over an hour had passed as he recalled his stories of Zeff to Zoro and Franky. Over an hour he hadn't even noticed go by, and four panic stops that came and went unnoticed as well.

He was stunned. That was only the second time that had happened to him; the first being the day before when he had arguing with was thankful, and slightly disturbed, but at least they would get home quicker.

Sanji was smoking a cigarette while Franky went to piss before they hit the road, and found himself studying Zoro once again. The moss head was chatting to the owner of the store, Sanji could remember his name, and his lovely daughter Conis. Zoro rubbed the backof his neck, a blush tingeing the tips of his ears. He laughed as the response to a remark the store owner made. Sanji decided that he liked the moss heads laugh.

Wait- he liked something about Zoro?! 'Pft! Impossible!' Sanji chidded himself.

He liked it when the plant head was quiet, he liked it when he was away from Sanji. The said blond shook his head, puffing strongly on his smoke, and blowing out huge puffs in irritation. Finally he saw Franky come out of the bathroom, and stomped out his cigarette, before joining him. Sanji thanked the owners profusely, bending into a deep bow, and kissed the fair maiden Conis' s hand, and then they were off on the road again.

Time seemed to pass slower this time, probably, Sanji acknowledged, becuase of the fact he hadn't even said a word to either Zoro or Franky. He had no idea what to say, but he kept glancing over at Zoro. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something As he stared out his door's window.

"What are you thinking about, plant brain?" He asked before he could stop himself. DAMN IT ALL! He scolded himself. 'I thought it was agreed no more questions?!' He asked his traitorous brain.

"My sister." Zoro replied honestly and simply.

Sanji's eye widened at his confession, and was surprised when he continued.

"Yesterday was her death day." The other man's voice was soft. So soft that Sanji strained to hear it.

Sanji suddenly felt horrible. Actually he felt like an ass. That was why Zoro had been so resigned and quiet the day before. He was mourning, and Sanji had to go ahead and give him shit because he had miffed at a stupid store closing. Zoro probably thought Sanji was an inconsiderate ass-hat, with no courtesy. He sunk lower into his seat with each passing second.

"Oh." He said quietly.

Zoro just grunted and continued to stare out the window. Soon they had to stop to let Sanji shake off the anxiety in his limbs, but they made it back to Sky Island well before dinner time. As they pulled up the drive way, Franky shut off his GPS, and turned down the rock music he had blaring.

After parking the car, all three of them got out of the car. Sanji was walking swiflty up to the door when Ussop rounded the corner.

"Hey, Ussop!" He greeted, "Sorry about the-" he stopped when he saw Ussop turn as white a sheet.

"G-g-g-" he stuttered as he looked between Sanji and Zoro.

"...Ussop?" Sanji asked, confused, and took another step toward the long nosed man.

"GHOSTS!" the man shrieked, and ran towars the main house.

"What the hell?" Zoro asked beside him.

"Yeah, bro," Franky asked, perching his sunglasses ontop of his hair. "What was that about?"

Sanji was at a loss for words. "Your guess is as good as mine," he finally said, and made his way toward the main house, going through the dining room's french double doors.

As soon as he opened the door, he was leapt upon.

"Agh-!" He yelped as he feel to the floor.

"SANJI!" A collective cry rang out followed by "ZORO! "

Sanji sat up and found Shanks and Chopper around his waist.

'Sanji," Shanks was sobbing, "Iamsogladthatyouaresafe!"

"Of course I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?"

Chopper was looking up at him with his big brown eyes. " The news has been covering the accident all morning! And when you didn't call we thought- Oh, Sanii, I'm so happy you're not hurt. Zoro either!"

Sanji then realized that he DIDN'T call. He had been so exhausted after yesterday, that the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

He hugged the two people around his waist, and stood when they released him from their hold. As he straightened, he met the gaze of Mihawk.

He opened his mouth to explain, and by the time he was done, the man's eyes were dark with anger. It was scary, but Sanji didn't understand why the man was exchanging a look with Zoro, who in turn just nodded. His yellow eyes then flicked to Franky, who was awkwardly standing in the doorway.

"And who is this?" The raven asked, gesturing toward the tall, blue haired man.

Sanji gestured Franky forward. "This is Franky, everybody. This is the man that took care of me and Zoro." He introduced proudly.

Franky blushed deeply, and laughed. "It wasn't that big of a deal," he argued humbly.

By now everyone had assembled in the dining room were the trio had entered. Even Ussop was back to his normal self, wailing and throwing himself at Sanji. Luffy was clapping Zoro on the back, excitedly asking about the details of his 'adventure'.

Sanji watched as Shanks went up to Franky and gave him a one armed hug.

"It's good to meet you Franky!" He laughed. "Please, as a thank you, stay for dinner. In fact, please stay the night. In fact I insist. On the house!"

The group cheered, and Franky was stuttering out an excuse, when one more persin burst through the double french doors.

"Sanji!" Robin smiled, rushing to hug him.

"My, dear mellorine~!" Sanji noddled as he was crushed into Robin's ample chest, and sqeezed him there.

Nami, who had arrived with Luffy, was next to hug him. He was liable to pass out from blood loss if this kept up, he decided. He clasped Brook in a hug as well. The whole group was together again, as it should be.

As he sat around the table that night with his family and new friends, he knew that there was no place then right there with them that he would rather be.

* * *

Thank you all so much for reading! Please review to let me know your thoughts, and I love you all! :3


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Thank you all for reviewing! ^-^ I love you all!

* * *

A One Piece Twist

Chapter 11

 _It was cold, and dark. The air was stale and still, and the strong odor of blood clung to everything. Sanji had no idea where he was, and all he hear as he sat there, blind folded and tied to the chair, the the sound of screams the echoed faintly through the building._

 _The young blond knew that they were coming for him next. He could hear it in the trod of their footsteps. He knew the HE was coming, a man that Sanji had feared all of his young life, a man that his mother even tried to protect him from._

 _He let out a strangled sob into the room as he struggled weakly against the bindings of his chair. Sanji didn't want to do this anymore, he just wanted his home, he wanted Zeff._

 _He heard the dead bolt of the door unlock with a deafening shriek against it's hinges, and he began to shake as he heard the foot steps of the masked man stalk closer._

 _"So, boy, are you ready to tell me were the money is, hmm?"_

 _Sanji let out another sob. "I-I don't know what your talking about!" He cried, and screamed when the man's hot hand pushed into the painful and empty eye socket they had extracted his eye from not that long ago._

 _"OLD MAN!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, but was cuffed upside side the head and had his hair yanked roughly back to silence him._

The masked man's voice was cold and deadly as he continued to speak to Sanji, but the blond didn't hear what they were, due to the fact that he trying to wake himself up from the dream.

He shot up in his bed, panting heavily, clutching the sweat soaked sheets of his bed with shaking hands.

As he descended from his dream state, he slowly remembered where he was, and what had happened a few days ago.

He threw back the sheets, and swung his legs to the floor. He rubbed his eyes, his bad eye out of habit, and his good one so he could see through the tears that had gathered in it.

He slipped on a pair of his glasses, and read the clock on his night stand: 5:07 am. He took out a smoke from the package on his bedside table, and it took four tries to light it with his lighter.

'Okay, its not that bad,' he thought as he stood, breathing in the smoke deeply, and made his way to his closet in just his black briefs.

He pulled on his favorite pair of black capries, and a tight, dark blue v-neck t shirt. After he slipped on his shoes and brushed his hair, he made his way to the kitchen to snag some fruit.

Carmen had forbade him from cooking with his hands being injured, and since he was never one to argue with a woman- especially one as beautiful as Carmen- he obliged.

For the last few days, he had found the time to pick up work where he could around the country club, but starting today he was back on kitchen duty, and he had alot of cooking to do.

He couldn't help but smile as he stepped into his kitchen for the first time in at least a week. Its smell was comforting, and when he closed his eyes, he could almost picture Zeff coming in and starting to scream at him.

Sanji pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose, slipped on an apron, and took out all the things that he needed to prepare for that day, so he could finish them tonight, and have them be fresh for tomorrow.

He was so concentrated on his tasks, that he didn't hear Carmen or her entourage come in. He was humming a love song that he had picked up from the old geezer when he cooked, slipping easily back into his native language.

 _" Je me suis assis près de son âme Mais la belle dame s'était enfuie Je l'ai cherchée sans plus y croire Et sans un espoir, pour me guider..._ "

"You have a beautiful singing voice, Sanji," Carmen praised, fixing her hot pink hair behind him.

Sanji started alittle, but smiled warmly. She returned his smile, and shooed her workers off to prepare breakfast.

"Thank you, mon cherie," he said, kneading a ball of dough for his thumb print cookies, and patted the excess flour from his hands.

He proceeded to knead all the dough he needed, and then wrapped the globs all in platic wrap, and stuck them in the fridge for latter that night.

"What are you doing, Sanji?" One of Carmen's minions asked.

" It's Nami-swan's birthday tomorrow~!" He cheered, and took out the tangerine jelly that he had canned last year, setting it on the table infront of him. "It's her 20th so I want to make it special~."

He grinned, and took out more ingredients, chopping and dicing and slicing away until it was well past noon, and him skipping both breakfast and lunch until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" He asked distractedly, not bothering to look up from his preperations.

Silence met his question, and he looked up to see Mihawk looking down at him.

"Oh, good morning! " he smiled.

"It's not morning, Sanji. It's almost 12:30 in the afternoon." The raven haired man corrected, removing his hand from Sanji's shoulder.

"Oh," Sanji amended. "Good afternoon then." He turned back to his work. "I've been making things for Nami's party tomorrow. I mean, I know that we plan on taking her to Angel Beach, and all, but I-" Sanji knew that we was rambling, but he knew the reason that Mihawk was here in the kitchen.

"Sanji," he said, interrupting, "The others are planning to go out. I would appreciate it if you went along to supervise. You know that Shanks isn't...the most responsible when anything fun or Luffy is involved."

Sanji put down his kitchen knife, turning toward his adopted father, thankful for him for not bringing up the fact that he had another rough time. "I would, but..."

"Nami would rather have you spending time WITH her, then slaving away making things FOR her. Plus, I am sure that your pastries and things can wait till you get back."

Sanji stopped the urge to back away from Mihawk when his tone was one of unwaverable command like it was now.

"Okay," he managed to say, and he removed his apron, and washed any evidence of his activities down the sink.

He walked out of the kitchen with Mihawk, and saw the motely crew of misfits finishing up their lunch.

"Hi, Sanji!" Tony greeted, and the rest, exception of a mossy moron, followed suit.

Sanji pushed the glasses up on his nose, and returned everyone's greetings with a smile. He placed an unlit smoke between his lips, and wiggled it between his teeth.

"So, where is it that you guys plan on going?' He asked, standing next to Tony, and ruffled the young teen's already shaggy looking hair.

Luffy opened his mouth, but Nami cut in.

"It's a surprise~!" She smiled slyly.

"Oh, Nami," the blond whinned, "Don't say that! You know that when you say that, it's generally a surprise of the unpleasant kind!"

Nami wagged a finger at him. "Consider it a early birthday present from yourself."

Sanji sighed, and lit up the cigarette in his mouth. He blew the smoke out slowly, knowing he was going to regret this.

Xxxxx

"Oh HELL NO!" Sanji and Usopp exclaimed, and tried to turn and run back to the car.

"Oh, HELL YES~!" Cheered Luffy, Ace, and Franky, grabbing hold of the two men before they could run.

Sanji squirmed. "Let go of me, you bastards!" The blond howled, struggling desperately to get back to the safety of the car.

"Come on, guys," Zoro said irritated, his hands in his khaki shorts, "The cook can barely ride in a car. How the hell do you expect to get him to get on anything?"

Nami walked up to him, smiling like a cat. "Well, that would be true, Zoro, if Sanji was indeed afraid of the rides."

"Huh?" What the hell did the witch mean?

"Yeah, it's not the rides Sanji hates at amuesment parks," Chopper said, putting his hands behind his fluffy head of brown hair. "What Sanji hates the most is amuesment park food."

"What? That makes no damn sense!"

"The food is disgusting, you stupid marimo!" Sanji wailed as he was dragged up the steps. "It's like the ninth ring of hell for any cook worth his salt. Oh, God, I hate you all!"

Usopp was pale, but walked beside Kaya, and was telling her some outrageous story. Zoro ignored him, instead watching as the blue haired man and Ace wrestled the cook through the entrance of the park.

He scowled as he took out his wallet, but was stopped by Robin's hand.

"Don't worry, Zoro," she smiled. "Sky Island is permitted season round, free access. We bring the park a lot of business, and the owners are good friends of Shanks and Mihawk's."

The swordsman relaxed, and walked through the security check with the others, and followed behind a now defeated looking cook free of of his torturers

"Cheer up, wonder brow," Zoro laughed, falling into step beside the mopping blond. "Look at all these costers! They are even crazier then your eye brows~!"

Sanji just sighed. "I hate amusement parks," he pouted, crossing his arms. "They are anything but amusing."

"What a Negative Nancy your being, cook," he said, grabbing hold of the blonds arm, and tugging them toward a deadly looking coaster.

"Like hell I'm going on that death trap!"

"Come on, cook, stop being such a baby!" Zoro said. "This is my first time in a place like this, so I'm not going to let you ruin it because your going to act like a chicken!"

Sanji stopped and stood, looking at him. "You're kidding!" He exclaimed. "This is really your first time in an amusement park? And I DON'T act like a chicken! It's on, marimo! Let's go!" And with that, the cook grabbed Zoro's hand, almost entwining his pale fingers in Zoro's tan ones.

As they made their way up the metal steps to the coaster, cutting through the Fast Pass lane, and into the front seats of the coaster, Zoro was unsure what to think of the cook.

"You ready?" Sanji grinned over at Zoro.

"Yeah," Zoro grinned back. "Oi, how is it that you are fine on rollar coasters, but can't be in a car more then 15 minutes?"

Sanji shrugged, buckling into his seat. "No clue. Maybe because the rides are, like, what? 3 to 4 minutes tops? Who knows."

Zoro started to buckle in as well. "Mmm. Maybe." He agreed struggling with the clasps alittle, but when he looked back over at the cook, the idiot was flirting with a girl in line.

He scowled, and fingered the gold hoops in his ears to distract himself until either the ride started, or Sanji stopped being a womanizing moron. Che, who was he kidding? The ride starting up would happen sooner.

He was staring off into the distance, smugly thinking about how that girl would never feel how soft Sanji's lips really were, when the ride attendees began to do their safety checks, and then the ride shuddered into gear.

"Woah!" Zoro couldn't help but exclaim as the train of carts began to ascend. He gripped the arm rests in front of himself, white knuckled, and stared down at the slowly shrinking people milling about the park.

"Che. Scared, are we, plant head?" Sanji questioned, now that there was no girl to flirt with.

"No!" Zoro denied, "I just don't like the feeling of this. It feels like I'm going to fall out." He shook the loose bars for emphasis.

Sanji smirked. "Well, if you get scared, you can hold my hand," the blond said, wiggling his fingers toward Zoro.

"Like hell, bastard!" Was all he had the chance to say before he was screaming his lungs out as the cart took its almost vertical plunge.

Sanji screamed along with him, throwing his hands in the air, his ass lifting partly out of his seat.

"WOHOO~!" The blond laughed like a maniac.

Zoro was laughing now too, and as he and Sanji looked at eachother grinning like crazy people, a flash went off. Zoro didn't have time to think about it though as the cart was thrown into a tight corkscrew, and forced them upside down.

After a few more surprises, the ride was done, and Zoro got off with laughter bubbling from his lips, and his hair wind swept and messy.

Sanji was laughing too, adjusting his glasses which, Zoro admitted to himself, looked really attractive on the cook's face.

Sanji bounced over to the photo booth, and pointed to a picture, held up two fingers, and then pulled out his wallet.

When Zoro caught up to him, a picture was shoved into his hands.

"What's this?" He asked as they walked toward the next attraction, and examined the photo.

It was a shot of the two of them on the ride, arms in the air, mouths open in screaming grins. They were looking at each other like they had been best friends for years.

Sanji lit a cigarette, and said through the smoke, "It's a picture, dumb ass. It's to commemorate your first rollar coaster ride."

"Oh," he said dumbly, and carefully placed the photo in his back pocket.

Their next ride was just as fun, as was the one after that. Soon the coaster riding duo needed something to drink, their throats raw from screaming.

As they were walking back, sipping their drinks, a sign caught Zoro's eye. It was a sign for an arcade game.  
It looked brand new, and there were dozens of people standing infront of it. Normally that sort of thing turned Zoro off, but the game was called 'Master Swordsman', and the green headed adult wanted to juvenilely see what it was about.

He dragged Sanji with him-who complained about it the whole time- and shoved his way through the crowd to check it out.

In the middle of the crowd was a scrawny, pimply, and pompous assed prick, holding a plastic, motion sensored katana.

The group of teens and people surrounding the game 'ooh'ed and 'aaw'ed as the teen tried to show off by fighting his overwhelming opponents like it was nothing. A moments later the kid 'died', signalling game over.

"Impressed?" The teen sneered smugly, catching Zoro looking at him curiously.

The crowd turned toward Zoro, awaiting his response.

"Che. In a sense. Your technique is kind of shit. You would've been dead before you even lifted your sword. So, you could say I impressed by your stupidity."

Zoro watched the teen start to color, and there were a few gasps at his words.

"Like you could do any better, asshole!" Pimple face shouted angerly. The teen boys in the crowed cheered in agreement, while the girls all watched Zoro intently.

He shifted his cold drink to his other hand, and scoffed. "I bet I could beat those virtual swordsmen in three moves, easy."

"Yeah, right! I like to see you do that!" The teen scoffed back. "I happen to be a master, and I don't appreciate ass hats like you acting like you know everything after having a few lessons!"

Zoro was brisling. That punk ass didn't know anything.

He handed his drink to Sanji, who wordlessly took it, and he stepped up, towering over the teen. He went to the second player console, clipped the motion sensor cuffs around his wrists, ankles, and took the sword in hand before entering his money.

The game started, and he chose his avatar. He waited for the teen to back up, before hitting 'Ready', and took a traditional stance. His avatar did too.

"This is the most basic stance," he explained very teacher like to the crowd, "And it is learned as the earliest stages of training."

The older man proceeded to attack the three men confronting him in three quick slashes-one slash each- in a total of ten seconds. He was advanced to the next round, and then the next, easily overpowering his 'opponents'.

No one said anything, and as Zoro beat the highest boss on the highest level, he looked at the clock. It had taken him less then eight minutes to defeat the whole game.

He typed in his name RORONOA ZORO on the high score screen, and took off the gear. Still not a sound was made until Sanji laughed, holding out the man's drink as he walked over to him.

"Damn, moss head! Way to crush a dream!"

Zoro grinned at the cook. "Che. Punk needed to be taught a lesson."

"Well, it's not very fair when you are an actual kendo champion, marimo!"

"Oh, please" Zoro said, ripping his tickets out of the arcade machine with one hand and taking his drink with the other. "When I was his age, I was in Europe fighting anyone I could get my swords on. Here," he said as he passed by the open mouthed 19 year old. Sanji continued to walk, oblivious to what Zoro said next, though not unkindly, it was probably a bit rough. "Maybe with these you can afford a few more lessons, 'master'." He took a pen out of the nerds pocket protector, and autographed the top ticket in his messy scrawl. He dropped the pen and the tickets into the kids hands before leaving after Sanji.

"So," Sanji drawled, letting out some smoke from his cigarette, "where to next?"

Zoro looked around, and then grinned. "How about that?" He asked, pointing toward the attraction.

"Put-Put? Why?"

"You live at a country club. You should be a pro at golf, right?"

Sanji growled, lightly kicking Zoro. "For one, idiot, put-put and golf are different. For two, where do you pull out your reasons? Your ass?"

Zoro swung his arm at the blond, and started to stalk toward the put-put entrance.

"Other way!" Sanji called, laughing loudly. "That's the exit!"

Pink tinged Zoro's ears, but he forced his face to be expressionless as he turned around and walked with the cook through the entrance, and waited while Sanji ordered their clubs and numbered balls. Then they got started.

Lets just say that by the time they were at the 3rd hole, Sanji was the one that was pink, and Zoro was the one that was laughing.

"Damn you!" Sanji howled as his ball once again went into the pond, successfully scaring the fish. "Your damn explanations aren't woth shit, Zoro!"

Zoro slapped a hand over his face. "Okay, cook, here," The older man put his club aside, and before the blond could protest, Zoro stepped behind the cook, and grabbed ahold of his waist.

"Be centered," he instructed gently, guiding the blonds hips. Then his hands slid up to the blonds arms, then down to his wrists and hands.

He was slightly taller then Sanji, so his body easily folded over the other man's, his chin restung right next to the blonds ear.

"Twist just your upper body slightly," he breathed, helping twist the lithe body in the right direction. "And let your momentum carry the put. After that, add alittle spin, helping the ball roll in the right direction. Remember, use the walls to your advantage."

He felt Sanji's breathing hitch a little, and the blond was tense as he concentrated on Zoro's words.

"Breath, Sanji," he whispered lowly in the blond's ear. He felt the cook shiver slightly before he stepped back, letting the youngeran have some room. The blond then took a deep breath and swung.

Zoro watched as the ball rolled, bouncing over the ramp, down a hole, and pop out of the windmill, making it into the hole at the other end of the 3rd course in one shot.

"A hole in one~!" Cheered Sanji, and raised his fist in victory.

"Beginners luck," teased Zoro, picking up his own club.

"Shut up! Don't ruin my moment of joy! It'll probably never happen again!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "If you do it once, probability dictates that it'll happen again...eventually."

"Bastard," Sanji mumbled, and bent down to retreive both the balls in the hole. "How the hell are you so good at this anyways?"

Zoro took his ball from the cook. "The son of privileged and rich pricks, remember? Naw," he laughed. "I learned to peg people really good with rocks when I was younger. Had to keep the fuzz distracted somehow."

"The police?" Sanji asked, as Zoro hit another hole in one, with a frown.

"Yeah," Zoro sighed. "When I was younger I lived on the streets in Japan, and was an orphan. I had to team up with some friends of mine, and the three of us together made a pretty good team." He felt awkward now that he brought up his past.

"So... you were adopted? Like...Gin?"

Zoro scowled. "Gin...was similar, yes," he admitted.

Sanji gave him a look.

"Don't even say it," he warned. "Anyways, so I was always asked to play golf and stuff growing up by the other kids. It got really annoying really quick, though. I absolutely hated it, and after that I would only play to earn money in bets." He admitted shamelessly.

He saw Sanji shake his head, and concentrated on the ball in front of him.

"It's good to know your heart was in the right place, " the blond mocked, and swung.

The ball arched, and landed in the water with a splash.

"Damn it all to hell!" Sanji excliamed, and threw his club down. "I'm done with this stupid game!"

Zoro laughed, picking up the blond man's club.

"Alright, curly, no need to pop a blood vessel."

Sanji crossed his arms and pouted the entire walk to the exit. When they left, Sanji took out his phone.

"Nami says that we should have time for one more ride before it's time to meet up at the parks entrance. Sound good to you?"

Zoro grunted in agreement. "What do you want to go on?"

The blond looked around, wondering, then his eye lit up, and he pointed to his choice.

"A Ferris wheel? Really, isn't that a little childish?"

"No!" Sanji defended. "Plus I bet that you have never even gone on one, so it will complete your first amusement park experience. "

Zoro rolled his eye, but followed Sanji to the attraction. There was a group of girls, and once they saw Sanji and Zoro, their sleaz-o-meters were turned on to high.

"Hello, boys~!" The obvious leader of the groups called out.

Sanji-as expected- noddled out, and was soon gushing his undying love for each and every one of the girls. Then somehow Zoro ended up in a cart with one of them, and Sanji with the others.

Zoro stifled the groan in his chest, and prepared himself for a horrible and dull ride. He had planned on doing SOMETHING with Sanji, like maybe kiss him at the top like a cheesy and hormonal teenager, and see where it went from there. But now all that was ruined!

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't know what was happening until he heard the scream of the girl next to him.

"Oh my gosh!" She shrieked, pointing to the seats above them. "Their going to fall!"

Zoro snapped into action. The two of the three girls that had insisted on riding with Sanji were screaming in terror as one of their friends was dangling half in, half out of her seat, the lap bar hanging down, useless.

He unbuckled his own seat belt, and carefully wiggled out from underneath the lap bar infront of him.

"What are you doing?!" The girl next to him exclaimed.

Zoro shot her a 'shut the fuck up' glare, and then proceeded to climb up the structure toward the dangling girl.

"Hold on!" He called, quickly scaling the ferris wheels metal frame.

He made it to the top just as the carts started to move again, and he lept into an empty, and moving cart.

He swung up and stood, reaching for the dangling girl.

"Let go on my count, got it? Don't worry I will catch you!" The earringed man called calmly.

The girl nooded, tears streaking her face.

Zoro held out his arms. "On three! One...two...three!" And the girl dropped.

Screams could be heard from the other carts and from below, but Zoro wasn't worried. He caught the girl in solid arms, and he wrapped them tightly around her shaking and shuddering frame until the cart was a few feet from the ground. He hopped off and sat the girl gently on the ground.

"Thank, you!" She wailed, hugging him tightly around the neck. "Thank you so much! " and then she kissed him hard on the mouth.

Zoro was shocked, the feeling of the woman's long fingers in his hair made him think of Sanji, and for a moment he imagined it was. Then he slapped himself mentally, and pushed her gently away.

"You need to get checked out by the paramedics," he said a little out of breath. It had felt like the girl had tried to suck the soul from his body.

He stood, wipping off the lipstick on his mouth in disgust. Man, he hoped the chick didn't have any STD's.

"Zoro!" A voice called, and he turned find Luffy barreling toward him through the crowd of spectators.

He was tackled by his friend, and he found himself looking around for a certain blond.

Smoke curled from behind a sign. He shoved Luffy off, saying that he'd meet him later, and hurried to the sign.

"Curly brow?" He asked, and peeked around the corner.

The said blond was puffing harshly on a cigarette.

"What the fuck do you want, marimo?"

Zoro crossed his arms. "Why so pissy, I just saved one of your precious ladies, you ungrateful bastard!"

Sanji threw his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out.

"Congrats," he said sarcastically. "Good for you!"

Zoro was fumming now. He grabbed the blond by the shirt, and yanked him against a nearby wall. "I did it for you, you prick! At least be thankful!"

Sanji slapped his hand away, and laughed bitterly, "Yeah, and that kiss was just an unexpected bonus right?"

"That's not it at all! Its not like I'd risk my life for just any stranger, and I-" he started, and then stopped. "Wait, are you JEALOUS?"

Sanji scoffed, and turned away, starting to walk away. "Yeah right, marimo," he said very unconvincingly to Zoro.

The swordsman just stared dumbly after the cook as the blond stalked away. Then he shook his head. The guy was obviously jealous, right? So why didn't the blond just admit it?

Zoro sighed tiredly, but followed after the blond with a smile twisting his lips. At least the cook was making this a challenge for him. Sooner or later the cook was going to crack, and Zoro was looking forward to the hot and steamy after math.

* * *

Okay, guys! Hoped you liked this chapter! Please remember to review and let me know what you think!

Song was ' Aline' by Christophe


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